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THE 



MORNING STAR; 



SYMBOLS OF C H H I S T 



>^ 



V^' 



WILLIAM M^THAYER, 

AUTnOE OF *' HINTS FOR THE HOUSEHOLD," " SPOTS OX OUR FEASTS OF CHARITY,' 
"pastor's wedding GIFT," ETC. 



^j. " Guiding Star I still give thy light ; 

'loir Lead me through the stormy night." 



BOSTON: 
L. P. CROWN & CO., 61 CORNHILL. 

PHILADELPHIA : J. W. BRADLEY, 48 NORTH POURTH STREET. 
PROVIDENCE : 0. W. POTTER, 56 WESTMINSTER STREET. 

1856. 






Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1856, by 

L. P. CROWN & CO., 

In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the District of Massachusetts. 






•^ 



STEREOTYPED AT THE 
BOSTON STEREOTYPE FOUNDRY. 



PREFACE. 



The symbolical parts of the Scriptures are invested 
with peculiar attractions. A familiar acquaintance with 
them can scarcely fail to increase respect and love for the 
Bible. This is especially true of the symbols of Christ, 
as significant representations of his character and office- 
work. They surround him with new charms as Mediator 
and Saviour. He never appears more emphatically " the 
chiefest among ten thousand, and altogether lovely," than 
when he is viewed through some of his more appropriate 
emblems. 

A few of the more prominent symbols of Christ are 
contained in this volume. There are others which the 
Christian may study with pleasure and profit. Not one 
can be found on the sacred page that is not worthy of 
close and patient examination. 

The same truth may be found in different symbols. 
Where this is the case, the author has endeavored to 
avoid repetition by developing the truth in one place only, 
with a brief allusion, or entire omission, in others. 

(3) 



4 PREFACE. 

Each emblem lias usually one special thought or truth 
to communicate. While the writer has borne this fact 
in mind, he has also discussed other lessons which the 
several examples treated appear to contain. 

The same text of Scripture may establish or illustrate 
a truth under two or more symbols. In a few instances 
proof texts are thus applied in this volume, for the reason 
that they are particularly appropriate in more than one 
place. 

If these pages serve to magnify the beauty and wisdom 
of the word of God in the view of a single reader, or 
cause the humblest believer or unbeliever to think more 
of Christ, the author will cheerfully endure the censure 
of critics, and never repent of having committed these 
thoughts to print. 

W. M. T. 



CONTENTS 



Symbol Page 

I. — THE MORNING STAR. ... 7 

II. — THE ROSE OF SHARON. ... 30 

III. — THE SINNER'S FRIEND. . . .51 

IV. — THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. . . 78 
V. — THE GOOD SHEPHERD. . . .101 

VL — THE TRUE VINE 128 

VII. — THE GREAT TEACHER. . . .150 

VHI. — THE SOUL'S PHYSICIAN. . . 171 

IX. — THE FOUNTAIN OF LIFE. . . .192 

X. — THE ROCK OF AGES. . . .215 

XI. — THE HEAVENLY KING. . . . 236 

XII. — THE SPIRITUAL REFINER. . . 258 

1* (5) 



SYMBOLS OF CHRIST. 



THE MOENINa STAR. 

" I am . . . the bright and morning star." 
Hail to his rising from afar ; 

He is THE BRIGHT AND MORNING STAR ; 

His healing beams, ye nations, bless ; 
He is the Sun of Kighteousness ; 
To save his people from their sins, 
Jesus his suffering life begins ; 
Ere long, as Christ our sacrifice, 
The Holy and the Just One dies. 

Montgomery. 

The stars are objects of deepest interest to 
men. From the earliest ages they have been re- 
garded with admiration, and even with superstitious 
reverence. "The untutored savage, though he re- 
gards the stars only as so many lamps suspended 



8 SYMBOLS OP CHRIST. 

from the azure vault, to enlighten and cheer his 
abode, is struck with admiration of the gift, and, 
with a heart overflowing with gratitude, falls down 
to bless the Great Spirit who bestowed it. Igno- 
rance and astonishment have gone still farther ; 
and in almost all nations traces are to be found of 
the worship of the heavenly bodies — a rude but 
not altogether unnatural form of religion to the 
uninstructed mind. The * hosts of heaven ^ are 
assuredly the most striking and appropriate visible 
emblems of the glory of the Almighty Unseen ; and 
where the mind has been unaccustomed to reflect 
on any objects but those that strike the senses, the 
mistake may without difficulty be accounted for. 
Certainly such a belief is neither so strange nor so 
revolting as the worship of cows and serpents, or 
even of men and devils, with examples of which the 
history of heathen mythology abounds." ^* 

There is, then, a good reason for the appellation 
which Christ gave to himself — "the bright and 
MORNING STAR." Had he simply compared himself 
to a star, without designating any particular one, 
there would have been appropriateness in that ; for 
the smallest star is an object of beauty and splen- 
dor, and suggests thoughts of purity and glory. Its 

* Dr. Duncan. 



THE MORNING STAR. 9 

mission is, to shed light upon the earth, to cheer 
and bless its inhabitants. But the "morning star"* 
is the brightest and most glorious of all the planets. 
This is known to astronomers as Yenus, and has 
been regarded by them queen of the starry hosts. 
Hence, as a symbol of Christ it is appropriate in a 
marked degree. He is " the chiefest among ten 
thousand," and the one " altogether lovely ; " ''a 
crown of glory " and " a diadem of beauty unto the 
residue of his people." He is the "star out of 
Jacob," foretold by the ancient seer. 

But the morning star is the harbinger of day ; and 
it is this, particularly, which makes it an appropri- 
ate symbol of Christ. As this luminary heralds 
the breaking light, so the Saviour, by his coming, 
announces an eternal day. He is the moral lumi- 
nary that rises upon the night of sin and sorrow, 
to show that " the day is at hand." In this light 
we shall view Christ in this paper. 

First, however, we shall notice some of those 
passages of Scripture in which a similar figure is 
employed. 

In reference to the different degrees of glory to 
be enjoyed by saints in heaven, it is added, "For 
one star differeth from another star in glory." The 
glorified saints are thus compared with the stnrp. 



10 SYMBOLS OF CHRIST. 

and are said to differ as the latter do in splendor. 
Indeed, this figure may be employed of saints on 
earth. They are called the " light of the world." 
They are appointed to shed moral light upon sur- 
rounding darkness. In Revelation, the pastors of 
the seven churches of Asia are called " the seven 
stars." The different degrees of glory that saints 
will enjoy above is probably determined by the 
different degrees of holiness which they possess on 
earth. In this respect they differ as " one star dif- 
fereth from another star." They are like Christ in 
moral likeness. He is the morning star, and they 
are the lesser lights. Viewing these figurative 
allusions in this connection, there appears to be 
great propriety in making the morning star a 
symbol of the Saviour. It is adding harmony to 
beauty. 

There is another text in which a similar figure is 
employed. It is the prophet's language in regard 
to the reward of the faithful. " They that be wise 
shall shine as the brightness of the firmament ; and 
they that turn many to righteousness as the stars 
forever and ever." Here, all that is pure and 
bright in a saint's everlasting inheritance is pre- 
sented under the figure of a star. It is a promise 
held out to the believer, to inspire hope and beget 



THE MORNING STAR. 11 

fidelity. The reader cannot fail to perceive the 
wisdom of such a purpose. There is scarcely an 
object in the whole range of nature so well suited 
to appeal to our sense of the beautiful, pure, and 
grand, as a star ; so that it may well be employed 
to symbolize the best and brightest experience in 
store for the true follower of Christ. 

Other texts might be quoted to illustrate the use 
that is made of this class of figures in the Scrip- 
tures ; but the foregoing accomplish this as really 
as more. 

Let us, then, return to the particular subject of 
this paper, — Christ, as the morning star, heralds 
eternal day. This implies that it is now moral 
night — a truth that is frequently expressed in the 
Bible. In the passage, " The night is far spent, the 
day is at hand," the same idea is presented. The 
whole duration of man's existence, here and here- 
after, is thus divided into two parts — night and 
day. It has been night for a long time. The dark- 
ness has been deep, impenetrable. Thousands have 
inquired, " Watchman, what of the night ? Watch- 
man, what of the night ? " And Christ, the morn- 
ing star, answers, " The morning cometh." Streaks 
of the breaking light already appear. 

" 0, long-expected day, begin ; 



12 SYMBOLS OF CHEIST. 

Perhaps, at the present age of the world, this 
symbol of Christ is more apt than ever before ; for 
we have reached a period in human progress that 
may justly be thought to precede immediately the 
promised dawn. It is not exactly the twilight 
hour; it is too dark for that; but it is the time 
when the morning star is seen fairest and brightest. 
It is night, but it is far spent. The morning has 
not dawned, but its forerunner is in full view. 

In what particulars is it night ? How is Christ 
the harbinger of day ? These are the questions to 
be answered. 

In what respects is it night ? 

It is a night of ignorance. We speak of great 
advancement in knowledge ; and it is true that the 
present age is distinguished in this regard. Still, 
in comparison with the unfathomed depths of knowl- 
edge, it is a period of ignorance. How little is 
known of the works of God ! Here and there a 
great philosopher has entered the storehouse of 
science, and brought therefrom things "new and 
old," to awaken astonishment and admiration. But 
the multitude, how ignorant ! Indeed, compara- 
tively speaking, how little the wise men themselves 
know of God and his works ! Let Newton, the 
prince of philosophers, bear witness ; and he says, 



THE MORNING STAR. 13 

after a life well spent in study and research, " I feel 
like one who has amused himself with gathering 
pebbles on the shore, while the great ocean of truth 
lay undiscovered before me." Interrogate him con- 
cerning the most familiar branches of natural phi- 
losophy, and a few inquiries bring him where he is 
compelled to say, " I do not know." " A little 
child can ask questions which a philosopher cannot 
answer." So ignorant is man ! 

Inquire of Herschel, whose life-study was the 
science of the stars, whether he has fathomed the 
depths and measured the heights of knowledge per- 
taining to the solar system ; and lie replies, " Even 
the imagination is enfeebled by the magnitude of 
its efforts, and can keep no longer on the wing 
through those mighty tracts which shoot far beyond 
what eye hath seen, or the heart of man hath con- 
ceived — which sweep endlessly along, and merge 
into an awful and mysterious infinity." Ask him 
what he knows of the morning star, which is the 
symbol of Christ — whether it is a habitable world, 
and if so, whether God has ever proclaimed to its 
inhabitants, " Peace be within thy walls, and pros- 
perity within thy palaces." His silence proves that 
it is a night of ignorance. 

i Summon Franklin, and put a thousand interroga- 
2 



14 SYMBOLS OP CHKIST. 

tions concerning the electric fluid, and less than 
half of them he is able to answer. Call Linnseus, 
the great botanist, who studied the plants and flow- 
ers of almost every clime, and he will confess that 
his mind falters over the structure of a single leaf. 
And thus, through every department of human 
knowledge, the wisest are proved comparatively 
short-sighted and ignorant. The atom of dust on 
which they tread, the ray of light on which they 
gaze, the delicious fragrance which they smell, the 
sensation of joy or sorrow which they experience, 
■ — all present impenetrable mysteries to their 
understandings. 

How little, too, is known of the ways of Provi- 
dence, and that little necessarily confined to the 
narrow limits of our experience and observation ! 
True, the light of revelation falls upon our path- 
way, so that we may not stumble upon the " dark 
mountains." And yet " we see through a glass 
darkly." It is walking by starlight, and not under 
the blaze of the full-orbed sun. 

Consider an event of common experience — the 
loss of property or the death of a friend. We 
believe that the smallest event is connected with 
some wise and good design of Jehovah, as really as 
the most important occurrence. However isolated* 



THE MORNING STAR. 15 

it may appear to be, we fully believe that it has its 
place iu the divine plan, as a link in a chain, and 
that, of course, it is inseparable from the grand and 
impressive events of Providence. Now, with this 
thought impressed upon the mind, let me inquire, 
reader, how much you know of the death of a 
friend. You know, indeed, that it has torn and 
well nigh crushed your heart ; but how far can you 
trace that event in the plan of Providence ? How 
far into the future can you see, to learn its bearings 
upon the things of God or man? Not a single 
step. Impenetrable darkness baffles every effort to 
trace its future relations. " His way is in the sea, 
and his path in the great waters, and his footsteps 
are not known." " Clouds and darkness are round 
about him." "No man can find out the work that 
God maketli from the beginning to the end." "0, 
the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and 
knowledge of God ! how unsearchable are his judg- 
ments, and his ways past finding out ! " You saw 
your friend in the agonies of death ; but how little 
you know of that mysterious visitant which took 
him hence! How poorly you can appreciate the 
feelings of a friend in the " mortal agony " ! 

From things temporal turn to things eternal. In 
eternity there are no mists and clouds to obscure 



16 SYMBOLS OF CHRIST. 

the vision. Knowledge is not the " hid treasure " 
that it is in this world of sin and tears. " For now 
we see through a glass darkl}^, but then face to 
face ; now I know in part, but then shall I know 
even as also I am known." Mistakes, errors, and 
mysteries are unknown beyond the grave. A clear, 
unclouded intellect grasps tlie realities of that eter- 
nal scene, undimmed by sin, unwearied by years. 
Its immortal powers continue to expand with the 
unceasing roll of cycles, receiving larger and larger 
accessions of knowledge as it advances into the 
infinite. Tlie whole boundless realm of truth lies 
open before it, with no obstacle in the way of 
its attainment, no difficulty to damp its burning 
ardor. Hence ignorance reigns not there, but per- 
ishes in the general conflagration that rolls the 
heavens together as a scroll. 

Then, in comparison with the intelligence that 
will characterize immortal beings hereafter, we are 
now groping our way through a night of ignorance. 
There is not a thing that we know, only "m part.^^ 

It is now a 7iight of sin. We are wont to de- 
scribe the reign of sin as moral darkness. In like 
manner the Scriptures speak of it. Men who love 
sin, and roll it as a sweet morsel under their 
tongues, are said to love "darkness rather than 



THE MORNING STAR. 17 

light, because their deeds are evil." Professing 
Christians, who wander in the ways of sin, are said 
to " walk in darkness." The righteous, as the 
" children of light," are set in opposition to the 
wicked, the " children of darkness." Christ calls 
the exercise of Satan's power " the power of dark- 
ness." And in the following passage it is employed 
to express the dominion of sin, and the slavery of 
the devil, to which the unrenewed . are subjected : 
" Who hath delivered us from the power of dark- 
ness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of 
his dear Son." 

There can be no mistake, then, that it is now 
night, for sin rules yet " with a rod of iron." It 
darkens the understanding, and pollutes the heart, 
wherever mankind abide. No shore is too remote, 
no climate too serene, no abode too sacred, to debar 
its entrance. It mingles a bitter with every sweet, 
a sorrow with every joy, and death pangs with 
every pulsation of life. It tampers with the fond- 
est ties, alienates the purest affections, and agonizes 
the truest heart. It is a cruel, merciless, vindictive 
tyrant when it is not an artful and deceitful siren. 
Its foul breath converts the fairest garden of hope 
and virtue into a howling waste, where hideous 
creeping things nestle and sting. In the language 



18 SYMBOLS OF CHRIST. 

of another, "Sin formed the volcano, the earth- 
quake, the hurricane, the pestilence which mows 
down the population of cities and empires ! Sin 
inflicts every pang ! Sin nerves every death throe I 
Sin stains and blanches every corpse ! Sin weaves 
every shroud! Sin shapes every coffin! Sin digs 
every grave ! Sin writes every epitaph ! Sin paints 
every hatchment ! Sin sculptures every monument ! 
Sin feeds every worm ! The waste and the havoc 
of centuries that are gone, and the waste and the 
havoc of centuries yet to come, all reverberate, in 
one awful voice, ' Death has passed upon all men, 
for that all have sinned.' " 

Such is sin ; and where it reigns it is night. 

It is now a night of sorrow* I need not say that 
the fondest ties of life are liable to be sundered. 
Admit that there are numerous and blessed jo^s 
flowing from the relations of love ; that there is 
m-uch in friendship and virtue to sweeten the bitter 
of life — yea, that earth scenes have their grand 
reality, alluring and even fascinating ; still, there 
is a dark cloud that overshadows all, and from its 
portentous bosom comes a voice to keep us ever 
mindful of the inevitable truth, "once to die.'"' 
There it is, in the pathway of every probationer, a 
great fact, an irreversible decree of God — " once 



THE MORNING STAR. 19 

to die ! " A cloud in the sky of earthly splendor ! 
A deep and awful pause in the restless life of the 
busy throng ! There is no such thing as blindness 
to this last item of our earthly experience. " Eat, 
drink, and be merry," and still death approaches. 
Rear castles, enter the race for wealth, anticipate 
twenty, thirty, forty years more of life for the 
world, and yet there is stern, inexorable, irresisti- 
ble death to be encountered. There is an awful 
majesty, too, in his coming ; for fleets and armies 
are blown away by his breath, and mighty kings 
and millionaires, in common with subjects and sons 
of penury, die at his nod. 

There is not a loved one on earth whose history 
will not close, like that of Abraham, with the mem- 
orable words, ^^Jlnd he died J' It is the last para- 
graph in every complete biography. The fond 
mother may read it on the cradle. The bride and 
bridegroom may see it in the tie that makes them 
one. The confiding child beholds it on a parent's 
brow. And thus on ; every friend, however dear 
and honored, bears about with him the fearful sen- 
tence, "Dust thou art, and unto dust thou shalt 
return." 

" Friend after friend departs ; 
Who hath not lost a friend ? 



20 SYMBOLS OF CHRIST. 

There is no union here of hearts 

That finds not here an end : 
Were this frail world our final rest, 
Living or dying, none were blest." 

It is freely admitted that this view of death is 
modified wlien considered in connection with the 
hopes of the gospel. A Christian hope not only 
adds a " silver lining " to this " cloud of sorrow," 
but well nigh converts the cloud itself into a canopy 
of light, as often, at the close of day, the setting 
sun converts the fragments of the spent and broken 
storm into sheets of gold. Still, when we view the 
sorrows of the race just as they are, without refer- 
ence to the past or future, we need not hesitate to 
present them under the figure of night ; for it is 
proved by actual computation that about one of tJie 
human family dies every second. Each one is bound 
to some earthly friend. Large circles mourn the 
loss of multitudes. Li this light, reflect upon this 
sundering of ties. How many heartstrings are 
broken in a single hour — in a day — in a year! 
Could we have arrayed before us all that are made 
mourners in one day, what a scene of grief it would 
be ! Who could number the pangs ? Whose eyes 
would not be turned to fountains of tears at the 
sight of such wailing and lamentation ? Who, then, 
will deny that this is a night of sorrow ? 



THE MORNING STAR. 21 

How is Christ the harbinger of day ? This is the 
second inquiry to be answered. A harbinger is the 
forerunner of a coming event. The morning star 
is the forerunner of the rising sun. So the advent 
of Christ foreshadows a day of " rest " and blessed- 
ness hereafter. He brought " life and immortality 
to light." His sufferings and death establish the 
truth of Christianity, and promise to man an inher- 
itance in a land where " there is no night." Now 
we know that this moral darkness shall end, and a 
day of light and glory arise. This was true at the 
coming of Christ ; and now that day is still nearer. 
The passing away of eighteen centuries has ad- 
vanced the world far towards that consummation. 
How soon that day will dawn it is not ours to say. 
Whether many centuries will intervene or not is 
among unrevealed things. Still, taking a compara- 
tive view of the subject, we may safely regard 
Christ its forerunner, just as the morning star is 
harbinger of day. 

While, as we have seen, ignorance still reigns, 
far and near, it is true that knowledge has greatly 
increased. Science is daily adding to its trophies, 
and learning, in all its departments, is advancing. 
During the last fifty years the world has undergone 
remarkable change in this regard. Art and science 



22 SYMBOLS OF CHRIST. 

have added new principles and facilities of progress 
to those heretofore discovered. The ocean steamer, 
the railway, and the telegraph have opened chan- 
nels of communication as wonderful as they are 
simple. " The literature and influence of our coun- 
try are all but universal. Two languages are at 
this moment the keys of intercourse with the whole 
world. The man that knows French and English 
may go every where, and converse in every capital. 
English, especially, is becoming more and more the 
language of the world." These facts indicate that 
the night of ignorance is passing away, and the 
brilliant, glorious morning of light rapidly ap- 
proaching. 

Add to this the signs of advancement in another 
direction — social and political changes — and 
Christ will appear still more the harbinger of day. 
"Eevolutions sufficient in number and importance 
to fill the pages of the world's history for a century 
have been crowded into a few brief years. " The 
crash of falling dynasties has echoed from every 
shore. Crowns and coronets have fallen thick as 
meteors in the November ' shower of stars.' Thrones 
of tyranny have fallen without a visible foe. Des- 
potic power has melted before popular rights. Ab- 
solutism in church and state has received its death 



THE MORNING STAR. 23 

blow. Freedom of conscience, freedom of speech, 
freedom of the press — in other words, the liberty 
of being men and Christians, and of making others 
such — these have been the watchwords of revolu- 
tion, the incentives to heroic and successful strug- 
gles with despotism. Though there may be many 
reverses, may we not adopt the expressive language 
of Robert Hall, ' The empire of darkness and of 
despotism has been smitten with a stroke that has 
sounded through the universe'? "When we see 
whole kingdoms, after reposing for centuries on the 
lap of their rulers, start from their slumbers, the 
dignity of man rising up from depression, and 
tyrants trembling on their thrones, who can remain 
entirely indifferent, or fail to turn his eyes to a 
theatre so august and extraordinary? These are a 
kind of throes and struggles of nature to which it 
would be a sullenness to refuse our sympathy. Old 
foundations are breaking up ; new edifices are 
rearing." * 

Next, behold the triumphs of the gospel ! How 
rapidly it has advanced during the last half cen- 
tury ! What achievements the heralds of the cross 
are now making ! In lands overspread with moral 
darkness a few years since, the institutions of reli- 

* Home Evangelization, p. 145. 



,24 SYMBOLS OF CHRIST. 

gion now flourish as luxuriantly as tliey do in this 
long-favored country. In Europe, Asia, Africa, 
and the islands of the sea, the tidings of salvation 
are spreading as on the wings of the wind. Heathen 
temples are crumbling to dust, and their dumb idols 
are dashed in pieces. Conversions are multiplying 
wherever the Word of Life is carried. "VYe can 
almost say, as we look upon the marvellous salva- 
tion of the Sandwich Islands, that a nation is born 
in a day. And still the good work progresses. 
With thousands of Christian missionaries and 
teachers, and thousands of Christian presses send- 
ing forth a sanctified literature, and an ever-increas- 
ing liberality on the part of believers, we may 
confidently anticipate a still more rapid spread of 
Christianity in future. 

Such are some of the assurances that the " morn- 
ing cometh ; " so that the symbol of Christ under 
discussion is appropriate and pleasing. 

The true believer may tarry here for a moment, 
to reflect upon the glories of that day ; for it is to 
him alone that the Saviour promises a day of bliss. 
To the wicked it will be " the day of the revelation 
of the righteous judgment of God." 

"There shall be no night there." The blest 
inhabitants of that land, where eternal day reigns, 



THE MORNING STAR. 25 

^Yi]l have no need of slumber ; for they never weary 
(n their celestial employments. The mind will 
ponder and grasp the sublimest truths of that 
kipgdom, and advance from one scale of intelli- 
gence to another, without losing its ardor. After 
ascending to heights of knowledge of which it is 
not possible to conceive at present, it will still 
retain the freshness of youth. Neither do they 
need, in that " better country," the sun to shine 
upon it; "for the glory of God lights it, and the 
Lamb is the light thereof." 

Sin does not enter there. The last stain of its 
defilement has been washed away in the "fountain 
tilled with blood." The golden streets of the city, 
its jasper walls and gates of pearl, aptly emblema- 
tize the purity that dwells within. Who can fully 
appreciate the joy of a sinless land ? Not a stain 
upon a soul, from the king on his throne to the 
smallest and humblest worshipper at his feet ! Can 
it be that the grovelling mortals of earth will ever 
inhabit such a resplendent abode ? 

There is no sorrow there. It is the only land 
from which " sorrow and sighing flee, away." The 
highest authority assures us that " God shall wipe 
away all tears from their eyes ; and there shall be 
no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither 
3 



26 SYMBOLS OF CHKIST. 

shall there be any more pain ; for the former things 
are passed away." Imagination falters in the 
attempt to conceiye of the bliss of that " fair, dis- 
tant land." To bathe in its river of delight, to 
drink from its fountains of joy, to join in its rap- 
turous songs, 'to listen to its harping choirs, to 
praise God and the Lamb forever and ever, — this 
is what " eye hath not seen, nor ear heard," of the 
things that " God hath prepared for them that love 
him." 0, what ineffable glories must be the por- 
tion of ransomed spirits I How rich, how sweet, 
how precious, surpassing all that fancy or fiction 
ever painted, is the experience of the sainted dead I 
In the language of the poet, — 

" We speak of the realms of the blest, 
Of that country so bright and so fair ; 
And oft are its glories confessed; 
But what must it be to he there I 

" We speak of its pathways of gold, 

Of its walks decked with jewels so rare, 
Of its wonders and pleasures untold ; 
But what must it be to he there I 

" We speak of its freedom from sin. 
From sorrow, temptation, and care. 
From trials without and within ; 
But what must it be to he there ! 



• THE MORNING STAR. 27 

" We speak of its service of love, 

Of the robes which the glorified wear, 
Of the church of the first-born above ; 
But what must it be to he there ! 

"Do thou, Lord, 'midst sorrow and woe. 
Still for heaven my spirit prepare ; 
And shortly I also shall know 
And feel what it is to he there 1 " 

Often, at the close of life, devoted saints, with 
the eye of faith fixed upon the "bright and morn- 
ing star," have caught glimpses of that eternal day. 
Its breaking light has flashed upon their vision, and 
the music of its harpers greeted their delighted 
ears. They could almost say, with enraptured 
John, " I looked, and behold a door was opened in 
heaven ; and the first voice which I heard was, as 
it were, of a trumpet talking with me, which said. 
Come up hither, and I will show thee things which 
must be hereafter. And immediately I was in the 
spirit ; and behold, a throne was set in heaven, and 
one sat on the throne. And he that sat was, to 
look upon, like a jasper and a sardine stone ; and 
there was a rainbow round about the throne, in 
sight like unto an emerald. And before the throne 
there was a sea of glass, like unto crystal. And 
the four and twenty elders fall down before him 



28 SYMBOLS OF CHRIST. 

that sat on the throne, and worship him that livcth 
forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the 
throne, saying, Thou art worthy, Lord, to receivp 
glory, and honor, and power ; for thou hast created 
all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were 
created." 

Thus Stephen, the proto-niartyr, caught glimpses 
of what he was about to enjoy with Christ ; for we 
read that, " being full of the Holy Ghost, he looked 
up steadfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of 
God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, 
and said. Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the 
Son of man standing on the right hand of God." 

Such was the experience of the pious Janeway, 
who said, in the hour of dissolution, " Methinks I 
stand, as it were, with one foot in heaven, and the 
other upon earth. Methinks I hear the melody of 
heaven, and, by faith, see the angels waiting to 
carry my soul to the bosom of Jesus, and I shall be 
forever with the Lord in glory. And who can 
choose but rejoice in all this ? " 

" This is heaven begun I " exclaimed Rev. Thomas 
Scott, when his soul was bursting from its fleshly 
tabernacle ; " I have done with darkness, forever — 
forever. Satan is vanquished. Nothing now re- 
mains but salvation, with eternal glory — eternal 
fflorv ! " 



THE MORNING STAR. 29 

Said Edmund Auger, just before he expired, " Do 
3^ou see that blessed assembly who await my arri- 
val ? Do you hear that sweet music, with which 
those holy men invite me, that I may henceforth be 
a partaker of their happiness ? How delightful to 
be in the society of blessed spirits ! Let us go. 
We must go. Let me go." 

The closing scene in the life of Payson was no 
less rapturous. He said, " The celestial city is full 
in my view. Its glories beam upon me, its sounds 
strike upon my ears, and its spirit is breathed into 
my heart. Nothing separates me from it but the 
river of death, and this appears but an insignificant 
rill, that may be crossed by a single step, whenever 
God shall give permission." 

In like manner hundreds have died rejoicing in 
the dawn of that eternal day of which Christ is the 
faithful harbinger. 

" Thus star by star declines, 
Till all are passed away ; 
As morning high and higher shines, 

To pure and perfect day. 
Nor sink those stars in empty night, 
But hide themselves in heaven's own light." 
3"- 



II. 

THE ROSE OP SHARON. 

. — " I am the rose of Sharon." 

Hast tliou not, in the lone wood's shade, 

Oft seen a lovely flower, 
Pale, weak, and bending low its head, 

Drenched by the thunder shower ? 

Transplanted thence, and trained to grow, 

The sunny garden's pride. 
How sweetly did its odors flow. 

Diffused on every side ! 

Fair Sharon's Rose thus lonely grew, 

In scorned Galilee, 
And fainted 'neath the gor}'- dew 

Of dark Gethsemane. Rev. J. EAsr. 

Sharon was a spacious plain in the East, distin- 
guished for the number and richness of its flowers. 
Among them the rose was conspicuous for beauty. 
It was the queen of flowers in the " Bible Lands." 
Far and near it was known as such ; and for this 
reason it was highly prized. Hence it came to be 
employed as an appropriate symbol of the Saviour. 

(30) 



THE ROSE OF SHARON. 31 

At the present time there is more reason for com- 
paring Christ with the rose than with any other 
flower. All flowers are objects of admiration ; but 
with none are there so many pleasant associations 
connected, and none appeal to the heart through 
so many charms. The rose has been celebrated in 
all lands and ages for this loveliness of which we 
speak. Hence our ears are frequently greeted with 
such comparisons as the following. A beautiful 
object, as a child, is said to be " fair as a rose." 
Delightful fragrance is pronounced " sweet as a 
rose." The hue of health upon the cheek of youth 
is described as " rosy." The blushing morning, 
with its resplendent glories, is called " rosy dawn." 
An object distinguished for peculiar softness is 
spoken of as being " soft as a rose leaf." Any per- 
son who will take the trouble to notice his own love 
for flowers will find that his heart is drawn towards 
this as it is not towards another. Hence it has 
always been employed as a decoration at festivals, 
and a significant emblem on other occasions. Scenes 
and personal charms that appeal to the tender sen- 
sibilities of our nature are frequently described by 
some allusion to the rose. When the serpent entered 
the- garden of Eden, he is represented by Milton as 
discovering Eve 



32 SYMBOLS OF CHRIST. 

" Veiled in a cloud of fragrance where she stood, 
Half spied, so thick the roses blushing round 
About her glowed." 

It seems as if Milton thought that there could not 
be a perfect Eden without this flower to load the 
air with its fragrance. Nor was this peculiar to 
him. We find the same disposition in ourselves to 
employ it as emblematical of delicate feelings and 
charming realities. When joyous children, in their 
loveliness and innocence, assemble on some festive 
occasion, how generally the wreath of roses is cho- 
sen to adorn them ! It is suggestive of that class 
of delightful emotions and sentiments which it is 
desirable to awaken at such times. Notice this 
tendency of our hearts when the little child is de- 
posited in the casket for the grave. The rosebud is 
laid upon its breast. If the death occurs when the 
season of flowers has passed, the neighborhood is 
searched for one of these appropriate emblems that 
has been reared under shelter. And how strongly 
it appeals to the mourner, as it lies upon that lovely 
form ! That stricken infant was the embodiment 
of delicate and beautiful elements of life, and noth- 
ing could so appropriately symbolize them as a rose- 
bud. How precious to the weeping mother ! Who 
has not seen her advance to the coffin, ere its lid 



THE ROSE OF SHARON. 33 

was fastened, and take the bud from the snowy 
breast of the child, to preserve as a memento of its 
existence ? Such remembrancers may be found in 
many a drawer, where they were deposited by be- 
reaved affection after the angel of death swept past. 

Such facts are indicative of the place that is 
assigned to the rose in the world of flowers. They 
prepare the way to consider what there is about it 
to remind us of Christ. There must have been 
some reason for the Saviour's choice of it as a sym- 
bol, otherwise he might have compared himself to 
the lotus of Egypt. Thei'e must be something that 
peculiarly adapts it to the object for which it is 
employed. Let us inquire what it is. 

When we look at a rose, the first thing that 
strikes us is, the queen of flowers upon the most un- 
comely stock. Scarcely any bush is less graceful 
and promising than that which, yields this flower. 
It is truly without "form" and "comeliness." 
There is beauty in a well-proportioned tree, even 
when stripped of its foliage. Many of them, taken 
in their wildness from the forests, are highly orna- 
mental in the garden. But the rosebush is the 
reverse of this. It is the last shrub from which a 
person unacquainted with plants would expect to 
derive fragrance or beauty. Besides, it repels one 



34 SYMBOLS OF CHRIST. 

by its thorns. The meanest twig that grows by the 
road side presents a more attractive surface. For 
this is a nettle to human hands — no better than the 
repulsive " bramble " to which the Saviour referred 
so disparagingly on one occasion. Yet, as we have 
said, it yields one of the most highly valued of 
flowers. 

This reminds ns very forcibly of Christ as he was 
spoken of by the prophet Isaiah. "He shall grow 
up as a root out of a dry ground ; he hath no form 
nor comeliness ; and when we see him, there is no 
beauty, that we should desire him. He is despised 
and rejected of men ; a man of sorrows, and ac- 
quainted with grief; and we hid as it were our faces 
from him ; he was despised, and we esteemed him 
not." In these words we have presented the hum- 
ble origin and unattractive appearance of the Mes- 
siah. " A root out of dry ground " is a striking fig- 
ure to indicate this. Barnes, commenting upon 
these words, says, " The idea here is, that the Mes- 
siah would spring from an ancient family decayed, 
but in whose root, so to speak, there would be life, 
as there is remaining life in the stump of a tree that 
has fallen down ; but that there would be nothing 
in his external appearance that would attract atten- 
tion, or meet the expectations of the nation. Even 



THE ROSE OP SHARON. 35 

tlieii he would not be like a plant of vigorous 
growth, supplied with abundant rains, and gro wing- 
in a rich and fertile soil, but he would be like the 
stinted growth of the sands of the desert.''* 

The Jews were anticipating the reverse of this. 
They expected a Saviour whose origin would be 
princely and promising. They were looking for 
porap and splendor in his coming. No wonder they 
were disappointed when he came in his poverty. 
No wonder they saw nothing in his humble lineage 
and appearance to admire. Cherishing such views 
as they did, how could they discover "form "or 
" comeliness " in him ? It is not strange that they 
exclaimed, when they saw iiim, " There is no beauty, 
that we should desire him." Nor is it singular that 
they "hid their faces from him." They could not 
believe that such glorious promises as God had 
made would be fulfilled in such a humble person. 
They thought it impossible that such fruit could 
proceed from such a stock — that such a flower as 
the Rose of Sharon could grow from such a desert 
soil as Nazareth. Therefore they turned away 
from him. " He was despised and rejected of men." 
The very name of " Jesus of Nazareth " became a 
hissing and by-word among them. That such an 
unpretending man should claim to have come upon 



36 SYMBOLS OP CHRIST. 

a divine mission aroused their indignation, and they 
poured it out. 

Now, contrast his advent with the present in- 
fluence of his gospel. Think of him, born in a 
manger! Though affluence reared its comfortable 
abodes and splendid palaces around it, yet there was 
not a chamber nor a bed for his humble parents. 
The passing crowd bestowed upon them no atten- 
tion, because they mingled with the unnoticed poor. 
Some kind stabler offered them a bed where the cat- 
tle ate their provender, as we sometimes permit the 
way-worn beggar to sleep in our barns. Think of 
him, then, I say, in the manger ; and from thence let 
your thoughts revert to the cross and the crown — 
the light of the world and the glory of heaven. 
Let the Mediator and Advocate with the Father, the 
eternal Judge, take his place in our minds with the 
mangered infant. Who would have believed that 
infant's hand grasped the sceptre of the world ? 
Who would have thought that infant's heart would 
ever agonize on Calvary for our fallen race ? Who 
would have said that he was destined to convulse 
the nations with his words, and break down the 
kingdom of darkness by his power? Yet it was 
even so. The *' root out of a dry ground " produced 
the queen of flowers. 



THE ROSE OF SHARON. 3T 

There could not be a more striking contrast than 
that presented by the birth and present exaltation 
of Christ. We have examples, in profane history, 
of men rising from obscurity to distinction ; and 
they are recounted as wonderful. There was Mar- 
tin Luther, the son of a miner, without early ad- 
vantages or encouragement, ascending to a post of 
influence and distinction seldom, if ever, surpassed. 
All Christendom bears the impress of his deeds. 
There was also Melancthon, the son of an artisan, 
throwing off the incubus which a lowly life imposed 
upon him, and rising to become the friend and co-help- 
er of Luther in the moral revolution of the old world. 
There are others, too, of whom the earth was not 
worthy, whose examples are cited as remarkable for 
the contrast presented between their humble origin 
and the final position of power for good which they 
occupied. But all these fall infinitely below that 
which we see in Christ. Admirable as they are, 
they are of little importance beside the example of 
Him who went from a stable to the throne of the 
*' King of kings and Lord of lords." 

Look more particularly at the mission which the 
son of unknown Mary performed. I need not de- 
scribe it; I could not if I would. We sometimes 
contrast the labors of individuals in this world, in 
4 



38 SYMBOLS OF CHRIST. 

order to have a more correct idea of the character 
of their offices. With this object in view, contrast 
the mission of the soldier, waging a war of aggres- 
sion, "with that of the missionary of the cross, bear- 
ing the word of life to the perishing. The former 
goes Avith deadly weapons and unloving heart to cut 
down his fellow-men as the mower cuts the grass. 
Under the power of martial music, his soul becomes 
the abode of burning passions, so that his highest 
ambition is the winning of an empire, though it be 
done at the sacrifice of a whole army of men. To 
lay smiling villages and cities in smouldering ruins, 
to slaughter his enemies and multiply misery in its 
most revolting forms, is his peculiar work. But the 
herald of the cross goes with the blessings of sal- 
vation to the same people. He wears no armor but 
the " armor of God. " He takes no shield but the 
'' shield of faith," and no helmet but " the helmet 
of salvation." He wields no sword but " the sword 
of the Spirit," and goes " praying always with all 
prayer and supplication " that he may " save some." 
His mission is one of love — " good will to men." 
He carries glad tidings to their doors. He helps 
them to build, and not to waste their towns and 
cities. He lifts them from their degradation with 
a brother's heart. He leads them to the wells of 



THE ROSE OP SHARON. 39 

salvation. He points them to the Victim on the 
cross. He tells them of the Saviour's dying love. 
He guides them to the " fountain filled with blood.'' 
They become new creatures in Christ. Their hearts 
and homes are better. Their land improves. In- 
stitutions of learning and religion rise to bless 
them. They soon take their stand beside the 
Christian nations of the earth. 

Now, which of these two missions is character- 
ized by the most dignity and true glory ? That of 
the missionary of Jesus is far, far higher than that 
of the warrior. All the moral sentiments of our 
nature record their verdict for the bearer of glad 
tidings. In comparison with his, the work of the 
soldier, contending for empire and renown, is con- 
temptible and low. 

But how much more exalted was the mission of 
Christ than even that of the most devoted herald 
of salvation ! How much more love and self-denial 
it required ! How much broader and grander was 
the field which it explored! Our feeble concep- 
tions are inadequate to embrace the height and 
depth, the length and breadth, of the plan devised 
for the salvation of the race. Yet it was all the 
work of that unpromising babe in the manger of 
Bethlehem. 



40 SYMBOLS OP CHRIST. 

Another quality of the rose which entitles it to 
become a symbol of Christ is its fragrance. For 
this it has always been celebrated. Its perfume, 
too, is more delightful than that of most flowers. 
In this particular it excels the multitude of buds 
and blossoms that adorn the earth. 

The perfume of flowers has ever been employed 
as an emblem of the pure and sanctifying influence 
of holy character. A popular writer, in a recent 
work which he published, speaking of the characters 
of those followers of Jesus who maintain a heaven- 
ly walk, says, " Their whole walk is fragrant with 
paradise." It is an apt figure to denote what is 
very agreeable to us in the amiable piety of anoth- 
er. A poet has e^'pressed the same sentiment in the 
following lines : — 

" When one that holds communion with the sides 
Has filled his urn where these pure waters rise. 
And once more mingles with us meaner things, 
'Tis e'en as if an an<yel shook his win^s. 

o o 

Inmciortal fragrance fills the circuit wide, 
That tells us whence his treasures are supplied. 
So when a ship, well freighted with the stores 
The sun matures on India's spicy shores, 
Has dropped her anchor and her canvas furled 
In some fair haven of our western world, 
'Twere vain inquiry to what port she went ; 
The gale informs us, laden with the scent.'* 



THE ROSE OP SHARON. 41 

There is more significance in this part of the 
symbol, perhaps, than we have supposed. Under 
the Jewish system of sacrifices we find that the 
fragrance of the ofierings was of considerable im- 
portance, at least as an emblem. Hence we fre- 
quently read of sacrifices, that they were a " sweet 
savor unto God." When Noah built an altar to 
the Lord, and offered burnt offerings upon it, God 
is said to have " smelled a sweet savor." That is, 
it was to him a pleasing and acceptable expression 
of Noah's faith and gratitude. All through the 
Jewish dispensation such observances are described 
by language like this : " It is a sweet savor, an of- 
fering made by fire unto the Lord." In these sacri- 
fices there was a pointing to that greater off'ering 
upon the cross ; for which reason, probably, they 
were specially acceptable to God. Paul speaks of 
that affecting scene on Calvary in these words : 
" Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself 
for us, an off'ering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet- 
smelling savorJ^ From these allusions it appears 
that there was a marked connection between the 
Jewish sacrifices and that on the cross, in the par- 
ticular named. 

The apostle refers to the influence of Christians 
by employing the same figure. He says, " We are 
4* 



42 SYMBOLS OF CHRIST. 

unto God a sweet savor of Christ." That is, the 
faithful believer sheds abroad an influence that is 
delightful as sweet odors to God. Nor is it his own 
righteousness — it is the '' sweet savor of Christ." 
He scatters the perfume of the Saviour's holiness. 

If the influence of virtue and holiness, as devel- 
oped in a mere human character, can be aptl}^ com- 
pared to delicious odors, then Christ has preemi- 
nent claim to the title Rose of Sharon. That 
flower was highly distinguished for its fragrance ; 
and so was Christ for the perfection of his virtues. 
He filled the atmosphere around him with the sa- 
vor of his holy presence. Hence, when David 
spoke of him, in one of his touching psalms, he re- 
ferred to his righteous character under the following 
figure : " All thy garments smell of myrrh, and aloes, 
and cassia, out of the ivory palace, whereby they 
have made thee glad." Imagine a royal personage 
coming forth from an " ivory palace," where his 
robes have become impregnated with the most de- 
licious odors that are known, the breezes catching 
the perfume, and flooding the air with its regaling 
sweetness — and you have a correct idea of the 
Psalmist's figure, to exhibit the sacred influence 
that continually emanates from Christ. 

The influence of his gospel in regenerating the 



THE ROSE OP SHARON. 43 

guilty world is spoken of in language like the fol- 
lowing : " The wilderness and the solitary place 
shall be glad for them ; and the desert shall rejoice, 
and blossom as the rose^ What could more forcibly 
express the vast change which Christianity is bring- 
ing to pass in heathen lands, than this picture of a 
loildcrness blossoming as the rose ? Imagine a desolate 
waste of sand, without a green thing to gladden the 
eye upon the whole area of sterility, — and then con- 
ceive of it as being suddenly converted into a gar- 
den of blooming roses, extending far as the vision 
can reach, one unbroken plain of beauty, — and you 
have the scriptural representation of the elevating 
influence of Christianity upon the world. 

But the third and principal quality of Sharon's 
rose, which made it specially appropriate for the 
use to which Christ devoted it, is Beauty. Doubt- 
less the symbol was originally designed to express 
the "beauty of holiness," as it appeared in Christ. 
It might have been employed wholly for this object. 
Be that as it may, it is a choice emblem of this ex- 
hibition of the Saviour's character. 

Beauty, wherever it is beheld, charms the eye. 
Men may differ in their views respecting what con- 
stitutes it ; but whenever an individual discovers 
that to which ho gives this appellation, it sways his 



44 SYMBOLS OF CHRIST. 

heart. God evidently designed that it should fulfil 
an important mission, otherwise he would have scat- 
tered it less profusely. In whatever direction we 
turn our eyes, we behold the beautiful in the works 
of God. From the humblest flower to the grandest 
object in nature, this quality appears. Blot out 
this single characteristic of the world in which we 
live, and much of the charm that it has for us would 
be gone. Nor is it confined to material objects 
alone ; it attaches to the relations and laws of do- 
mestic and social life. There is beauty in the fit- 
ness and delicacy of these, as really as there is in 
a flower, or in the human countenance. I say, there- 
fore, God must have appointed this to accomplish 
an important purpose. No one can contemplate the 
great profusion of flowers, even, which are the most 
beautiful of material objects, without being im- 
pressed with this idea. If loveliness has no spe- 
cial purpose, then we behold something on every 
hill and in every valley, by every stream and on 
every plain, as well as in every land, which God 
has created in vain. But such a thought is an im- 
putation upon the divine character. Beauty is no 
vain creation. It leaves an impression upon the 
heart of man. It makes the mark of God wherever 
it exists. 



THE EOSE OF SHARON. 45 

But the symbol in question refers to moral beau- 
ty. Christ employs the fairest flower to symbolize 
the highest moral perfection. Beauty is very fre- 
quently employed in the Scriptures to express ex- 
alted Christian excellence. Thus we are instructed 
to " worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness." 
The same writer said he would enter the sanctuary 
" to behold the beauty of the Lord ; " that is, to 
witness those manifestations of his perfections 
which acceptable worship promises. He also calls 
Zion " the perfection of beauty." Nothing is so ex- 
quisitely fair as that purity which belongs to the 
true Zion. Hence her subjects are exhorted to " put 
on their beautiful garments ; " while the Lord is 
said to " beautify them with salvation.'* He clothes 
them in the robes of his righteousness, that they 
may shine to his praise. For this David prayed 
when he said, " Let the beauty of the Lord our God 
be upon us." 

We need not multiply quotations. Such pas- 
sages are numerous, and they possess an unmistaka- 
ble meaning. The truth which they convey meets 
with a response in our hearts. There is nothing 
more beautiful than moral purity. Let nature en- 
dow a person with all the charms that ever graced 
humanity — the moment we learn that a corrupt 



46 SYMBOLS OF CHRIST. 

heart lies behind those fascinating features, he or 
she is no longer beautiful. That quality has faded 
like a flower in the blasts of November. It is be- 
cause our moral instincts assert that the hio-hest 
style of beauty is the moral. We cannot think that 
a corrupt individual is adorned with this grace ; or, 
at least, we have very little admiration to bestow upon 
his or her attractions. On the other hand, we often 
see personal charms in the plainest individuals, 
simply because we know that goodness fills the 
heart. The cardinal virtues throw the radiance of 
their purity into the speaking countenance and 
self-denying acts. 

A person performs a deed that appears to be the 
promptings of a benevolent heart, such as clothing 
the naked, feeding the hungry, or raising up the 
down-trodden. We admire the act, and join with 
others in pronouncing it beautiful. But let us as- 
certain that some sinister motive, some sly, secret, 
selfish interest begot it, and at once it is converted 
into a contemptible deed. It is degraded from a 
lovely to a hateful thing. We have no patience 
with it. Its charm has vanished. 

Such an act as that of the poor widow, casting 
her two mites into the Lord's treasury, possesses a 
moral attraction before which much that is called 



THE ROSE OF SHARON. 47 

great in the world is vanity. The spirit that actu- 
ated the pious woman is one that commands the re- 
spect of every class. The untutored savage, even, 
feels his heart melt under its moral power. The 
roughest nature cannot so insult itself as to assert 
that a rose is not lovely ; neither can it assert the 
same of that widow's act without doing violence to 
itself. The gift of a fortune, the endowment of a 
college or asylum, for worldly power and glory, is 
small and insignificant in the comparison. 

From this it is evident that moral beauty is the 
highest kind. The virtues that lift tlie soul heaven- 
ward awaken the most pleasing emotions within us. 
The chains of Peter, when we learn the spirit which 
impelled him to preach of Christ, become radiant 
with this quality. Every link is one of gold, and 
all together shine as jasper. There is more attrac- 
tion in those galling fetters than, attaches to the 
gilded robes of a royal despot. 

Notice here the trne nature of sin and holiness as 
presented in the Scriptures. The former is the em- 
bodiment of moral deformity, the most ugly and un- 
lovely of all existences. Behold the emblem of it in 
the Bible. It is the most loathsome and terrific of 
all creeping things — the serpent. In its nature and 
destructive power, sin is like that dreadful creature. 



48 SYMBOLS OF CHRIST. 

It has a fang to bite, poison to infuse, and death to 
inflict. On the other hand, as we have seen, holi- 
ness is described as loveliness itself. The most 
lovely objects in nature are selected to set forth its 
attractions. Just those things which command the 
profoundest love of the human heart are chosen to 
symbolize it. All this adds weight to what has 
been said concerning moral beauty. 

How aptly, then, is Christ styled the Eose of 
Sharon ! When Isaiah was describing the future 
blessings of the righteous, he did not forget Christ. 
He said, " Thine eyes shall see the King in his beau- 
ty." And, 0, how beautiful I The rose leaf is less 
pure than his soul. The dove is the divine emblem 
of his lovely spirit. Sin has not left the trace of a 
single passion upon his brow. There was moral 
beauty in his advent. It was a glorious sight when 
the angels flashed the light of their wings upon the 
midnight gloom to celebrate his birth. His youth 
lost not the charm. Youth is always winning when 
it is found in the ways of virtue ; but that of Christ 
was rendered infinitely more so in consequence of its 
connection with the issues of his manhood. His 
ministry, with its deeds of unrivalled benevolence, 
was beautiful. Infidels have been compelled to ac- 
knowledge this. "When he took little children in 



THE ROSE OF SHARON. 49 

his arms to bless them ; when he wept with the sor- 
rowing, and rejoiced with the joyful ; and when 
every where he laid his hand of love, and poured out 
his heart of mercy upon the suffering forms of hu- 
manity, his character was lovely beyond comparison. 
Behold him in the Mount of Olives at night, suppli- 
cating the blessing of God upon his foes ! So beau- 
tiful was the scene, that artists have transferred the 
affecting reality to the canvas. Follow him to the 
judgment hall of Pilate. Listen to the accusations 
that are brought, and say if they tarnish the lustre 
of his character. The longer we gaze upon that in- 
terview, the more is our admiration of the Saviour 
increased. His holiness becomes more attractive as 
bitter enemies attempt to despoil it. What can be 
more lovely than the disposition which prompted his 
last prayer for his persecutors when upon the cross ; 
" Father, forgive them ; they know not what they 
do." This was the climax of those beautiful things 
which characterized the Saviour from his birth to 
his death. Surely the queen of flowers is fitly 
chosen to represent his worth. 

In one respect Christ is not like the rose of Shar- 
on. Its beauty fades with the passing season. It 
withers, and lies a worthless thing. But that of 
Christ, like all moral and spiritual existences, never 
5 



50 SYMBOLS OF CHRIST. 

decays. When the last trace of loveliness shall 
have passed away from the earth, that of Jesus will 
shine with more charms than ever. His presence 
will beautify the mansions of rest, and ransomed 
spirits will bow before him as the object of their 
hearts' deepest love and reverence. 

If Christ is the most beautiful of all moral beings, 
then we readily perceive how we can attain to the 
highest degree of loveliness. We must be like him. 
Thousands aim to secure the admiration of man- 
kind. Indeed, it is more or less the effort of all the 
race. Personal appearance commands their undi- 
vided attention. They employ art and ingenuity to 
heighten their charms. Gems, and all sorts of cost- 
ly trinkets, with princely garments and studied airs, 
are employed for this purpose. It would startle the 
world to know exactly the amount of time and ex- 
pense devoted to this single object, by the human 
family. Yet, it is done for a vain, perishing impres- 
sion, while they might possess a personal attraction 
like that of Christ. They have only to be like him 
in moral excellence, and they will be adorned with 
his graces. Their infiuence will be like the perfume 
of flowers, and their moral beauty ineradicable as 
the nature of holiness. 



III. 

THE SINNER'S FRIEND. 

*• There is a Friend that sticketh closer than a brother." 

How much to be prized and esteem'd is a friend 
On whom we can always with safety depend ! 
Our joys, when extended, will always increase ; 
And griefs, when divided, are hushed into peace. 

Miis. Smith. 

Christ is a Friend, whose love is pure, 

And sheds immortal bloom ; 
Its fragrance will through time endure, 

And live beyond the tomb. Mes. Baxter. 

There is scarcely a word in the English language 
more precious than that of Friend. It is sugges- 
tive of much that is pleasant and joyous in social 
intercourse, and tells of love and solace when the 
heart was made sad by trial. A Friend ! How 
lone and desolate would be tlie condition of a per- 
son without this boon ! Who would be willing to 
try the experiment of living without the fellowship 
of such a wayfarer ? To go, friendless, into the 
walks of life ; to share, friendless, its numerous joys ; 

(51) 



62 SYMBOLS OF CHRIST. 

to meet, friendless, its inevitable sorrows, — wlio 
would dare make the trial? It is human to desire 
companionship along the devious paths of life. It 
is human to want a hand that we can cordially 
grasp. It is human to seek a heart that will love 
like our own. Without this source of happiness, the 
present is a burden and the future a terror. 

In all ages and climes, by all classes and sects, 
friendship has been sought and honored. Our so- 
cial organizations, our literature, and our religion, 
all proclaim its worth and power. No person is 
supposed to be sick of its enjoyment unless he is af- 
flicted with some mental aberration, as the misan- 
thrope or hermit. Poets have invariably invested 
it with a charm to all persons, except such as fail to 
appreciate the relations and duties of life. Thus 
Goldsmith represents the " Hermit " as saying, — 

" And what is friendship but a name, 
A charm that lyils to sleep, 
A shade that follows wealth or fame, 
And leaves the Avretch to weep ? " 

Such is the sentiment of those only who have 
either been cheated and disappointed by the pledges 
of a false friendship, or who are unworthy to share 
the love and esteem of their fellow-men. The lov- 



THE sIxVner's friend. 53 

ing, noble soul adopts the utterance of another poet, 
and says, — 

" For a friend is above gold, precious as the stores of the 
mind." 

The Saviour himself recognized the value of the 
relation expressed by the word Friend, when he ap- 
plied the appellation to his disciples. This act of 
friendship on his part must have been very dear to 
his followers at that time. To be welcomed as 
friends by such a personage, and to be privileged to 
call him by the same title, is no small immunity to 
a sinful mortal. When St. John wished to appeal 
tenderly to believers, so as to awaken in their hearts 
a response worthy of their high vocation, he caught 
this expressive word from the lips of his Master, 
and said, " I have called you friendsy This was pro- 
fessing strong attachment and decided confidence in 
those who were addressed, and it must have resulted 
in mutual trust and esteem. 

But there is a relation of life in which earthly 
friends can render no assistance or solace, xis 
heirs of immortality we have interests to be cared 
for, and a destiny to be determined, in regard to 
which human sympathy and love are powerless. 
The social ties of life are only temporary. The 
5 * 



54 SYMBOLS OP CHRIST. 

most endearing relation is subject to change and 
sudden termination. There is no certainty about 
any of the possessions and enjoyments of this world. 
They are fickle and transitory. The wisest coun- 
sellor, the dearest friend, may lie low in death to- 
morrow. Our grateful intimacies, and sources of 
mutual help and joy, may be thus suddenly broken. 
Besides, were these earthly bonds perpetual, we 
need more than a human friend in our highest spir- 
itual interests. As immortal and accountable be- 
ings, destined to reign with God in glory, or suffer 
with the wicked in perdition forever and ever, we 
need a Divine sympathizer, a Friend who can " be 
touched with the feeling of our infirmities," and who 
has been " in all points tempted like as we are." 
Such a Friend is indispensable, and he who has him 
not must be lonely a,nd wretched indeed when the 
death-hour comes. 

Thanks to infinite wisdom and love, such a Friend 
is provided in our Lord Jesus Christ — one ^^ that 
sticketh closer than a brother ^ He possesses every 
attribute to qualify him for this office. Thousands 
are ready to testify from experience to his merits. 
They have tried his counsels, sympathy, and grace. 
He has been with them in joy and trial, in high 
places and low places, at home and abroad, living 



55 



and dying. The longer the trial of his friendship 
has been made, the more satisfactory has it proved. 
The more closely men have walked with him, the 
more delightful have they found his fellowship. 
Even the poor sinner, vile as the thief on the cross, 
has been welcomed at the moment of repentance by 
this heavenly Friend. His praise is in all the 
churches, and millions of harps are strung in para- 
dise to swell it. 

The following are some of his attributes. 

He is a sympathizing friend. 

Even true friends do not always possess this es- 
sential quality. I say essential, because in a world 
like this, where joy and sorrow, hope and disap- 
pointment, mingle so strangely, an unsympathizing 
friend is a poor companion. For some hours and 
conditions he may be well fitted, but for those 
checkered scenes that make up so much of life, he is 
totally unprepared. His experience may not have 
been of such character as to prepare him to sympa- 
thize with persons in a multitude of circumstances. 
Our experience must be kindred to that of our 
friends if we would fully sympathize with them. 
This is the secret of being able to rejoice with them 
that rejoice and to weep with them that weep. There 
is no school so thorough and moulding in its in- 



56 SYMBOLS OF CHRIST. 

fluence as that of experience. It impresses upon our 
hearts lessons which are powerless as taught by 
books and human lips. What does the millionaire 
know of the feelings and trials of the poor man in 
the struggle of life? How can the king on his 
throne appreciate the hard lot of his suffering sub- 
jects ? Who is quite prepared to mingle in the af- 
flicted family group unless he himself has been be- 
reaved ? There is the wandering exile, driven from 
his home and kindred for serving Christ — who can 
enter into the feelings of his heart so fully as a 
brother exile ? There is the child of misfortune, 
whose large possessions have taken to themselves 
wings in an evil hour — who understands his disap- 
pointment but he who has alike fallen from afflu- 
ence to poverty ? There is the weeping mother, 
whose lovely infant is torn from her arms by death 
— who but some other sorrowing mother can know 
how great is her anguish ? Indeed, this principle 
extends even to the pursuits of life. None but a 
sailor can sympathize with those " whose home is on 
the sea," in their perils and hardships. None but a 
teacher can feel with a teacher, none but a pastor 
with a pastor; and so on through all the avocations 
of life. Hence it is well nigh impossible for us to 
sympathize with our friends in all things. For the 
experience of no two persons is exactly alike. 



57 



Moreover, we are often disqualified to sympathize 
with those around us in consequence of forgetting 
what were our exact feelings in certain circum- 
stances, and at certain times. There can be but little 
doubt that parents err in the goyernment of their 
children, by not remembering how they felt and 
acted when they were young. They are incapaci- 
tated thereby for appreciating the trials of children. 
Children have trials peculiar to themselves, and all 
of us can recall them by a sober, second thought. 
And it is only when they are remembered that we 
can so appreciate their circumstances as to control 
and guide them with success. A distinguished 
teacher says upon this point, " It is unquestionably 
true, and every wise teacher is fully aware of it, 
that in school discipline there is constant danger 
that the teacher will estimate erroneously the moral 
character of the actions he witnesses, just because 
he has forgotten the feelings of childhood. He 
cannot appreciate its temptations or understand its 
difficulties, and many a little straggler with the 
inclinations which would draw him from duty, is 
chilled and discouraged in his efforts, because the 
teacher never knows that he is making an effort to 
do his duty, or at least never understands the trials 
and difficulties that he finds in his way." This 



58 SYMBOLS OF CHRIST. 

remark is just as applicable to adults generally as it 
is to teachers. 

It is also impossible to sympathize with many 
of our fellow-men in their peculiar temptations. 
Nothing is more common than to find ourselves con- 
demning the misdeeds of others, when perhaps we 
should be guilty of the same offences if subjected to 
the same temptations. Individuals are subjected to 
influences in early life, often, that warp and distort 
their characters. Their vile passions are fearfully 
developed by exposure to corrupt example, so that 
they are really trained to become the victims of 
dreadful vices. That early education, in a multi- 
tude of instances, weakens the power of moral re- 
sistance, and consequently renders the unfortunate 
child a more easy prey to vice, cannot be doubted 
for a moment. Furthermore, some inherit moral 
weaknesses and obliquities, and this renders their 
relations to evil stilly more precarious. The iniqui- 
ty of the fathers is visited upon their children even to 
the third and fourth generation. The fathers sin, and 
the children suffer. The former hug some loath- 
some vice, and their offspring are, in consequence, 
peculiarly tempted in that direction. These, and 
a thousand kindred circumstances, are not, and can- 
not be fully appreciated by men, so as to duly pro- 



I 

THE SINNER'S FRIEND. 59 

portion their sympathies. No one can deny that 
less guilt attaches to a person whose early educa- 
tion was demoralizing, in the commission of certain 
crimes, than to one who perpetrates them against 
the best early impressions and discipline. Still 
this is generally overlooked, and often it must be so 
of necessity. 

But it is far otherwise with Christ in all the fore- 
going particulars. None of these infirmities mar 
his character as a sympathizing Friend. He knows 
the very springs of human action. His experience 
from the manger to the cross was checkered, disci- 
plinary, and instructive. His mission as a preacher 
was preceded by thirty years of human experi- 
ence ; and it was all indispensable. Not a day nor 
an hour of that thirty years was unnecessary. 
Every part of it developed the tender sensibilities 
of his sinless' nature. The scenes, too, with which 
it was checkered were exactly suited to prepare 
him to sympathize with men. Behold him at the 
graA^e of lamented Lazarus ! He is a weeper there 
with the sisters, Martha and Mary. How deep 
and sincere his sorrow! He knew the bitter- 
ness of the cup mingled by Providence for them. 
Hear his words of consolation — " Thy brother shall 
live againJ^ Blest words to fall upon bleeding 



60 SYMBOLS OP CHRIST. 

hearts ! 0, how yerv dear the fellowship of Christ, 
in that hour of grief, to the sisters of Bethany I 
Yes ! • The Saviour was " a man of sorrows and ac- 
quainted with grief," that he might be " touched 
with the feeling of our infirmities." He mingled 
with men in all the conditions of life, from the king 
on the throne to the beggar at the gate. He sought 
especially the poor and suffering, to lift them up 
and bless them. He saw the rich man in his palace, 
and the poor man in his hovel. He saw the ruler 
in his royal robes, and the subject in his cringing 
servitude. He took the little child in his arms, as 
if to hint to mothers that he would bear it in his 
bosom hereafter, and pitied the old man on the 
verge of the grave. The persecuted, the bereaved, 
the fatherless, the widow, the lame, the maimed, the 
halt, the blind — all shared in the kindnesses of his 
great heart. He understood their trials and their 
wants, and nothing in their experience was hid from 
his eyes. In short, he experienced every form of 
trial, suffering, and temptation, which falls to the lot 
of mortals ; and hence he is abundantly qualified to 
sympathize with them. Bunyan alludes indirectly 
to this truth in the first two lines of the following 
verse : — 



THE sinner's friend. 61 

" Christ leads me througli no darker rooms 
Than he went through before ; 
He that mto God's kingdom comes 
Must enter by that door." 

No infirmity of recollection diminishes the sym- 
pathy of Christ. Unlike man, he commands every 
item of his earthly experience, fresh as if it were of 
yesterday's occurrence. He was once a child^ and 
forgets not the feelings and trials of childhood. He 
expects no more of the young* than they are able to 
perform, and imposes no more upon them than they 
are able to bear. It is a pleasant thought for the 
young to ponder, that the Saviour was once young 
like themselves, a member of the family, a learner, 
an associate. They may be five, ten, twelve, fifteen 
years of age, — the Saviour was once a child, a lad, 
of the same age, and knows to-day what were the 
exact feelings and temptations of that early period. 
Their parents, guardians, and teachers may err in 
their commands and reproofs, because they have for- 
gotten the experience of early life, but Christ never. 

Nor will he fail to appreciate the temptations of 
men, since he was " tempted in all points like as we areP 
Had he sojourned in the flesh without meeting the 
assaults of the arch-fiend, how poorly qualified would 
he have been to sympathize with us ! For tempta- 
6 



62 SYMBOLS OF CHRIST. 

tions make up a great portion of life. They come 
from every quarter, and even meet us in sacred 
places. Gabriel could not appreciate our wants 
and frailties in this respect, for he has not been a 
mark for the fiery darts of the enemy. But Christ 
understands the nature, number, and power of temp- 
tations. He sees where to exercise forbearance in 
consequence of evil early training or inherited pro- 
pensities. His judgments in this regard are strict, 
but not unjustly severe. They are merciful, but not 
too lenient. 

Such is the Saviour as a sympathizing Friend. 
Fancy could not paint one better suited to the wants 
of probationers in this " veil of tears." 

He is a long-suffering Friend. 

Earthly friends weary with our drafts upon their 
attention and aid. ^e hesitate to make repeated 
requests for their assistance, lest they be wearied, 
like the " unjust judge," by our " continual com- 
ing." The most tried friend will not endure ap- 
peals beyond measure. There is a limit to his 
attentions and favors. Even members of the same 
family — parents and children, brothers and sisters 
— are not disposed to tax each other unduly, for 
the reason Damed. Unkind feelings and words, 
that mar the harmony of the domestic circle, are 
sometimes the result of such indiscreet conduct. 



63 



Moreover, what would be thought of the man 
who should consider a valuable gift from a friend 
an excuse or reason for asking another of him, of 
equal or greater worth? It would be considered 
a breach of friendship, and, as Jeremy Taylor said, 
would " burn the thread that ties their hearts 
together." No person would venture to conduct 
upon such a principle in his intercourse with men. 
He would not dare risk his reputation in this way, 
nor sacrifice the kind feelings of acquaintances in 
this reckless manner. 

So settled have mankind been in their views upon 
this subject, that marked departures from this prin- 
ciple of action have been made records of history. 
Thus it is related of Alexander the Great, that, on 
one occasion, he directed the philosopher Anax- 
archus to go to his treasurer and ask for any gift 
he pleased. The treasurer refused to grant his 
request, because it was so great, until he might see 
the prince. Accordingly he went to him and said 
" it seemed too much for one man to receive." The 
great sovereign replied, " It is not too much for 
Alexander to give. He does honor to my liberality 
by so large a request." That even a prince, with 
immense wealth, should grant a request so exor- 
bitant surprised the treasurer. The mass of men 



G4 SYMBOLS OP CHRIST. 

would Lave coDsidered such asking a good reason 
for immediate repulse. It is so unlike the common 
principle upon which men conduct, that the histo- 
rian has made it an item in public annals. 

But Christ is not a Friend who is wearied by our 
importunities. He never thinks that we ask too 
much, nor that we appeal too often for his aid. 
The more frequently we apply to him for sympathy 
and help, the more cheerfully does he grant our 
prayer. The more we ask, the more is he willing 
to give. He tells us that it " does honor to his lib- 
erality" to ask much at his hands, and that it 
affords an opportunity for the display of his 
patience when our supplications are " continual." 
We can pour our wants into his ear at any time, 
and ask for any necessary blessing, without fear of 
cooling his love or diminishing his friendship. In- 
deed, it is the only way to preserve unbroken mutual 
attachment between him and ourselves. Multitudes 
have tried and proved it, and are now ready to bear 
witness to the encouraging fact. He regards this 
desire for his aid as evidence of dependent feelings, 
and this unceasing importunity an expression of 
confidence in his love and mercy. 

Long-suffering Saviour ! Ages since would thy 
dependent children have wearied, thee, hadst thou 



THE sinner's friend. 65 

been like them impatient! But thou, Immanuel, 
dost never tire, though they call day and night upon 
thee ! Happy they ! 

He is a faithful Friend. 

A faithful friend is one who will tell us of our 
faults. Not all sympathizing and long-sujffering 
friends will do this. It is one of the severest tests 
of fidelity to go and tell a bosom companion of his 
errors. It is an easy matter, judging from observa- 
tion, to proclaim his errors abroad. It costs little 
self-denial to whisper them in the ears of those who 
ought not to be informed of them. Another has 
said, "It is easy enough to get more or less than 
the truth regarding our failings, and friends often 
fret and spoil each other by a mutual retail of com- 
pliments and scandal, which they make a business 
of collecting, to be used in congratulation or con- 
dolement. What is better, in view of such tale 
bearing, than a sincere counsellor, who at due times 
will tell the simple and entire truth, and, above 
flattery and calumny, will give honest advice upon 
faults of character and errors of conduct, mingling 
kindness with caution, and never so encouraging as 
when thoroughly frank ? This is a nice point, and 
one full of difficulties ; yet the point is a main one, 
and a brave, generous heart need not fear the diffi- 
6^ 



66 SYMBOLS OP CHRIST. 

culties. No man is a true friend who is not ready 
to be a faithful adviser, willing to wound self-love 
in its tenderest part, and give passiog pain for the 
sake of lasting blessing. Not often, and never with 
any assumption, must he do this, but humbly, as 
before the Searcher of hearts, and in view of the 
benign and majestic Being who washed his disciples' 
feet before telling them of their defects, and open- 
ing to them the fulness of his wisdom and love." 

Christ is faithful as he is sympathizing. When 
he was on earth, and fellowshipped with his disci- 
ples, he did not suffer their sins to go unrebuked. 
It was his chief concern that they should become 
patterns of Christian propriety ; and hence he told 
them plainly of their faults. In this he was equally 
the " Friend of sinners ; " for he was pointed and 
pungent when he dealt with them. In hell the 
Scribes and Pharisees will remember forever with 
what fidelity he rebuked their sins, and warned 
them to flee from " the wrath to come." His deci- 
sive conduct towards them was the occasion of 
anger and wounded feelings often ; but it was none 
the less admirable for that. "Faithful are the 
wounds of a friend " is a divine proverb. The whole 
beauty of it, however, is not perceived until we con- 
sider its counterpart — " But the kisses of an enemy 



67 



are deceitful." The Saviour had an experience at 
this point over which his children have often won- 
dered. The kiss of Judas, the apostate, went like a 
dagger to his heart. It was the forerunner of inde- 
scribable agonies and an ignominious death. True 
friendship recognizes this mark of fidelity ; it is 
anxious to have faults pointed out, and thankful to 
those who undertake the self-denying task. The 
devoted Martyn said of a person who exposed his 
defects, even in a rash and unkind manner, " I was 
thankful to God for admonishing me, and my grati- 
tude to the man was, I think, unfeigned." And in 
his private journal the name of the reprover was 
found specially remembered in prayer. The com- 
mentator who records this fact about Martyn says, 
" I am a poor, straying sinner, with a wayward will 
and a blinded heart, going wrong at every step. 
The friend for my case is one who will watch over 
me with open rebuke, (not always public, but with a 
free and open heart ;) a reprover when needful, not 
a flatterer. The genuineness of friendship without 
this mark is more than doubtful; its usefulness 
utterly paralyzed. The secret love that will not risk 
a faithful wound, and spares rebuke rather than 
inflict pain, judged by God's standard, is hatred.* 

* Lev. xix. 17. 



68 SYMBOLS OF CHRIST. 

Far better the wound should be probed than cov- 
ered. Rebuke, kindly, consideratel}^, and prayer- 
fully administered, cements friendship, rather than 
loosens it. The contrary instances only prove that 
the union has never been based upon substantial 
principle." 

Such was ever the fidelity of Christ, and it was 
always kindly exercised. The good that might be 
accomplished among friends by proper reproof is 
often defeated by the manner of expressing it. 
Many have not the courage to administer it until 
their ire is somewhat aroused ; and then they pro- 
ceed to the duty with any spirit but that of true 
kindness. Not so with our Saviour. He was ex- 
tremely severe occasionally to gross sinners, but 
ever gentle and kind when he rebuked his disciples. 
When Peter denied him at the time his trial was 
progressing, the Saviour only cast a look upon him ; 
but it was doubtless a look of grieved affection. 
When he was about to reprove certain of his follow- 
ers for want of humility and charity, he prefaced 
the rebuke by washing their feet. When Thomas 
was so strangely unbelieving, how tenderly did 
Christ censure his lack of faith, and bring him 
back to duty ! And when he was the guest of Mar- 
tha and Mary, in their humble home, how kindly he 



69 



exposed the undue regard of the former for the 
things of the world ! The most sensitive persons 
could not object to such tender treatment. Kind- 
ness and fidelity happily blended ! 

He is a constant Friend. 

In our social relations we are continually reminded 
that friendship is, like other things, uncertain. Men 
are fickle as the wind, and very trifling incidents 
often change their views of character. One of the 
dark scenes that mar human intercourse is that of 
friends speedily changed to enemies. Every neigh- 
borhood can furnish one or more of these scenes, 
with such antecedents and consequents as depend 
upon circumstances. It is no strange thing for 
friends who love to-day to hate to-morrow ; and 
very frequently the strongest friends become the 
bitterest foes. It has been said, and with much 
truth, that the most burning hate exists between 
those who become foes in the same household. 
Family quarrels are usually earnest and marked. 

But it is of the fickleness of human friendship 
that I would speak. There are a great many con- 
tingencies in the present state of society upon 
which it depends. There are so many factitious 
distinctions under the present social organization, 
that friendship becomes almost wholly one of the 



70 SYMBOLS OF CHRIST. 

incidentals. The ricli man has many friends. That 
it is the fruit of his riches, in many instances, ap- 
pears from the fact that when his wealth is gone, 
his friends go in about the same ratio. Of course 
such friendship is like the money it worships ; it 
" makes to itself wings, and flies away." As much 
may be said of the honored and powerful. To be 
accounted the friends of such famous characters is 
the highest ambition of thousands. But take away 
their honor and power, and the crowd of worship- 
pers disperses. The friends that are left are few 
and far between ; but these few are choice ones ; 
for a true " friend loveth at all times, and a brother 
is born for adversity." 

The above is no sketch of fancy ; it is what opens 
to our observation, if it be not actually proved in 
our own experience. The friendly relations of life 
are subject to change, and even sudden rupture ; 
but the friendship that may be created between the 
Saviour and ourselves is not subject to change, at 
least on his part. He is " the same yesterday, to-day, 
and forever." Social distinctions do not make or 
mar his love. He passes by the palace of royalty, 
and enters the humble cottage, if there be a foe in 
the former and a friend in the latter. The ardor 
of his attachment is never cooled by the sight of 



71 



rags, Qor the absence of popular favor. There is 
nought in these signals of adversity to forestall his 
friendly feelings. Therefore, he is the same tried 
and true friend through all changes and trials — 
the same in time and eternity. 

" We, alas ! forget too often 

What a Friend we have above." 

He is a loving Friend. 

Even true friends are characterized by different 
degrees of affection. But the highest development 
of friendship is based upon the highest exercise of 
love. The constancy and fidelity of friendship are 
marked or not, according to the strength of affec- 
tion that subsists between the parties. The truest 
friendship grows out of the truest love. 

What, then, shall we thijik of Christ as a Friend ? 
Who ever loved as he loves ? 

" His is love beyond a brother's, 
Costly, free, and knows no end." 

Yes ; no brother ever exhibited, in living acts, 
greater love for his brother than Christ exhibited 
for his foes. He gave his life a ransom for them ! 
" When we were yet without strength, in due time 
Christ died for the ungodly." " Greater love hath 



72 SYMBOLS OP CHRIST. 

no man than this, that a man lay down his life for 
his friends." "Scarcely for a righteous man will 
one die ; yet peradventure for a good man some 
would even dare to die." Here imagination falters, 
and language fails in conceiving of and describing 
the love of Christ. We have read of patriots lay- 
ing down their lives upon the tented field for a 
land, home, and friends they loved ; but we have 
not read or heard of one who has bled and died for 
his enemies — not one. There was some personal 
enjoyment at stake, some portion of selfishness, in 
all these examples of patriotic devotion. These 
deeds were not performed for the benefit of univer- 
sal man. In their widest scope they embraced but 
a single country, and a small portion of the com- 
mon brotherhood. But Christ died for the guilty 
WORLD. The country that gate him a manger for 
his cradle, and the cross for his crown, compre- 
hended but a speck of the aggregate humanity for 
which he died. His boundless love, like the sun in 
his circuit, encircles the habitable globe. It leaves 
not out the meanest beggar nor the youngest babe. 
Our love for man is modified often by his per- 
sonal attractions or deformities. We are so consti- 
tuted that beauty, whether in nature or art, charms 
us. The rose, the lily, the green lawn, the sunrise 



73 



and sunset, the timid dove, the gentle lamb, the 
gurgling brook, the painted landscape, the polished 
bust, the innocent child, the graceful form, the flash- 
ing eye, the ruddy cheek, all hold us by their beau- 
ties. But the Saviour^s love is inspired only by 
moral beauty — the holiness of the heart. These 
outward attractions are to him but the dress of the 
soul, worthless when the soul returns to God who 
gave it. The beauty which the world admires will 
fade. Like a flower of the field it is cut down and 
withereth. But the beauty which calls forth the love 
of Christ is eternal. It lives when the body returns 
to dust, and the " elements melt with fervent heat." 
We may well adopt the sentiment of tlfe poet : — 

" Could we with ink the ocean fill, 

And were the skies of parchment made. 
Were every reed on earth a quill, 

And every man a scribe by trade. 
To write the love of Christ our Lord 

Would drain the ocean dry, 
Nor could the scroll contain the whole. 

Though stretched from sky to sky." 

He is a forgiving Friend. 

Should we treat the best earthly friend as we 
have treated Christ, it would scarcely be possible 
for him to " forgive and forget." ' Such indifference 



74 SYMBOLS OF CHRIST. 

to his sacrifices for our good, yea, such cold neglect, 
would cause him to turn away from us with con- 
tempt. He would spurn us from his presence, as 
being too ungrateful to be forgiven. This unforgiv- 
ing spirit is rife in our social relations. Even the 
most trivial inattention or slight begets animosities 
that rankle in the heart for months and years. 
What, then, would be said of the man who should 
treat with disrespect the memory of one who lost 
his life in protecting him ? He would be an object 
of contempt in every circle ; and no endowments 
or smiles of fortune could atone for such base in- 
gratitude. 

But all this, and more, has been done to Christ. 
Think of all he suffered in the flesh, of all that he 
said and did, of his crucifixion and death ; and then 
look at the unfeeling conduct of men towards him. 
See how they have slighted his offers of mercy, and 
refused to love and serve him. Behold them nail- 
ing him to the cross again, and opening afresh his 
bleeding wounds. And yet he promises forgiveness. 
He prays for these crucifiers, " Father, forgive them ; 
they know not what they do." To vilest sinners 
he says, " Come unto me, all ye that labor and 
are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take 
my yoke upon you, and learn of me ; for I am meek 



75 



and lowly in heart ; and ye shall find rest unto 
your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden 
is light." No father could more gladly welcome 
his returning prodigal son than Christ receives tho 
repenting sinner. It is his nature to forgive ; 
" and, forgiving, he is blest." 

He is an everlasting Friend. 

We have said that ties of earthly friendship are 
rudely sundered by death ; that the truest earthly 
friend may be removed when his presence and sym- 
pathy are most grateful. Life has too many illustra- 
tions of this fact to make additional proof necessary. 

"There is no flock, however watched and tended, 
But one dead lamb is there ; 
There is no fireside, howsoe'er defended. 
But has a vacant chair." 

But the Saviour never leaves nor forsakes his 
friends. " Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the 
end of the world." On sea and land, at home or 
far away, he is still at our side. And more ; when 
the heavens roll together as a scroll, "the Lord 
himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, 
with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump, 
of God ; and the dead in Christ shall rise first ; 
then we which are alive and remain shall be caught 



76 SYMBOLS OF CHRIST. 

up together with them in the clouds, to meet the 
Lord in the air ; and so shall we ever be with the 
Lord." Glorious consummation of a friendship 
begun on earth ! The union made perfect where 
there is " no more pain, and all tears are wiped 
from the eyes " ! 

Christian! be not content simply with finding 
such a Friend. Strive to he like him: How often do 
intimate companions become like each other ! Close 
familiarity, and mutual love and confidence, bring 
them to feel and act almost as one. They become 
assimilated to each other in thought, sentiment, and 
aim. Let this power of assimilation be realized in 
your communion with Christ. Cultivate such a 
close fellowship with him that you will breathe his 
heavenly spirit, and maintain his simplicity and 
purity of character. Live so* near to him, be so 
often with him, that the world may regard you his 
friend. In this way your influence will tell upon 
the world, nor die when you are dead. 

Sinner ! without Christ you are friendless indeed. 
You may succeed in your worldly plans, and enjoy 
life with a merry heart ; but the time is coming 
when you will need the sympathy and grace of this 
"divine Friend." That time is coming, too, on 
**apid wing, and it soon will be here. Business, 



77 



pleasure, hope, nothing can stay its approach, for 
come it must. And then who but Christ can appre- 
ciate your dying agonies ? Kindred and friends 
may gaze into your distorted countenance, but they 
have never experienced these death pangs, and so 
they can form no just conception of your " mortal 
agony/' But Christ has been there before you. 
He grappled with the king of terrors. He knows 
his power, and has felt his fiery darts. He has led 
the way down through the dark valley, that he 
might lead others through to " Canaan's shore." 
Make him . your Friend ; and you will be able to 
say, when you leave the world, "Though I walk 
through the valley of the shadow of death, I will 
fear no evil ; for thou art with me ; thy rod and thy 
staff they comfort me." 
7* 



IV. 

THE LIGHT OP THE WORLD. 

" I am the light of the world." 

How long, how far on pilgrimage 

To Zion have I feigned to go, 
Yet went astray at every stage, 

Snared or smit down by every foe. 

Thou Light, that lightenest every one 
Who toils through this bewildering path, 

Shine on my soul, that I may shun 
The broad, dark, downward road to wrath. 

Montgomery. 

The Saviour was wont to retire to the Mount of 
Olives at night for prayer. From that sacred re- 
treat he returned early one morning to the temple 
in Jerusalem, having spent the whole night in that 
retired spot. The rising sun was just illuminating 
the spires and turrets of the city, and irradiating 
hill and forest with its golden splendor. The streets 
were beginning to swarm with busy people, entering 
upon their daily toil. Intent upon his mission of 
love, Jesus sought the temple, whither the multitude 

(78) 



THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. 79 

repaired to hear his gracious "words. It was here, 
probably, in allusion to the rising sun, whose beams 
had scattered the darkness of the previous night, 
that he said, " I am the light op the world." His 
meaning could not have been obscure to those eager 
listeners. The humble bearing of the speaker was 
sufficient to assure them that his words were not 
those of vain boasting. Bold pretension could not 
sit with so much grace upon human character. 

Light is frequently employed as a symbol in the 
Bible. A few illustrations may serve to elucidate 
the subject. The progress of religion in the soul is 
described thus : " The path of the just is as the shin- 
ing light, which shineth more and more unto the 
perfect day." This comparison is apt and beautiful. 
The first indication of approaching light is the ap- 
pearance of the day sfer. Then the faint, lovely 
dawn breaks over the distant hills, gradually devel- 
oping into the full effulgence of morning, when the 
sun ascends the skies in his glory, and all nature 
rejoices in his genial rays. So it is with the true, 
faithful Christian. The beginning of his new life is 
comparatively feeble. But as his spiritual day ad- 
vances, his hopes and graces strengthen, and his 
character shines with increasing lustre. Year after 
year this illuminating process continues. Nor does 



80 SYMBOLS OF CHRIST. 

the darkness of the carnal mind wholly disappear 
until death removes him to a higher sphere, where 
he shines with undiminished brightness forever. 

When the Psalmist would magnify the glory of 
God, he represented him as wearing garments of 
light. " Who coverest thyself with light as with a 
garment." And Paul sought to express the same 
truth in like manner, when he spoke of God as 
" dwelling in light which no man can approach 
unto." 

The Word of God is called light. " Tliy word is 
a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path." 
" The entrance of thy words giveth light ; it giveth 
understanding unto the simple." Peter, also, em- 
ployed the same figure, as follows : " We have also 
a more sure word of prophecy ; whereunto ye do 
well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth 
in a dark place, until the day dawn, and day star 
arise in your hearts." 

In the following passages Christ is spoken of as 
"Light." " There was a man sent from God, whose 
name was John. The same came for a witness, to 
bear witness of the Light, that all men through him 
might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent 
to bear witness of that Light. That was the true 
Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into 



LIGHT OF THE WORLD. 81 

tlie world." When Jesus was transfigured before 
Peter, James, and John, his purity and glory were 
thus described : " And his face did shine as the sun, 
and his raiment was white as the light." At another 
time he said of himself, " I am come a light into the 
world, that whosoever believeth on me should not 
abide in darkness." 

Such use of this symbol is frequently made in the 
Scriptures, and these examples will suffice for illus- 
tration. What the sun is to the natural, Christ is 
to the moral world. This was his meaning, evident- 
ly, when he claimed to be " the light of the world." 
What, then, are the qualities of natural light that 
render it a fit symbol of Christ ? This is the ques- 
tion to be answered. 

Light is vivifying. 

It is owing to its benign influence upon the earth 
that the latter is rendered a fit abode for man. The 
thrift and beauty that adorn the fields are the pro- 
duction of this silent but powerful agent. Even the 
colors, that delight us with their richness and varie- 
ty, are dependent upon the beams of the sun. The 
rose would part with its blushing hues at once, were 
the light that falls upon it day by day to be sud- 
denly quenched. Beauty is one of the striking 
characteristics of the earth which we inhabit. It is 



82 SYMBOLS OF CHRIST. 

thus garnished, doubtless, in order to administer to 
the happiness of mankind. It is impossible to esti- 
mate the amount of enjoyment which this single 
quality of the earth contributes to man. Yet it all 
depends upon the existence and reflection of light. 

By its action, also, vegetable life is elaborated 
from inorganic matter. Plants put forth, bud, and 
yield their increase ; seed time and harvest appear ; 
the seasons, with their flowers and fruits, revolve ; 
and all the delightful changes and productions of 
the year spring from the ceaseless operation of light. 
Says Dr. Dick, speaking of the sun, " Without the 
influence of this august luminary, a universal gloom 
would ensue, and surrounding worlds, with all their 
trains of satellites, would be shrouded in perpetual 
darkness. This earth would become a lifeless mass, 
a dreary waste^ a rude lump of inactive matter, with- 
out beauty or order. No longer should we behold 
the meadows clothed with verdure, the flowers shed- 
ding their perfumes, or " the valleys covered with 
corn." The feathered songsters would no longer 
chant their m.elodious notes ; all human activity 
would cease ; universal silence would reign undis- 
turbed, and this huge globe of land and water would 
return to its original chaos." 

From tliis it appears that the vivifying power of 



THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. 83 

light occupies no unimportant place among the 
agencies of the material world. It hence becomes 
a good representation of that spiritual light which 
Christ sheds abroad. Without the latter there is 
no moral thrift and loveliness in the world. Wher- 
ever the gospel has not exerted an influence upon 
society, there reigns moral death. Nothing can 
atone for the absence of this. Learning and art 
cannot accomplish much for a people, beyond mere 
social and intellectual refinement ; and this is only 
temporary good. Philosophers have contended that 
education is ample to guide a people into the path 
of rectitude — that enough can be done for them in- 
tellectually to save them from the corruption and 
ruin which have been the fate of millions. But, in 
answer to this, there is the history of Greece and 
Rome, a triumphant refutation of all such erroneous 
views. Time was when the Greeks and Romans 
enjoyed such contributions of science, art, and liter- 
ature, as fall to the lot of few. Learning flourished 
in almost unparalleled magnificence. Every spot 
was consecrated to education in some of its branches. 
But this refinement availed little to save the people 
from moral ruin. For a season they flourished in 
great splendor ; but their downfall was sure. De- 
struction rushed upon them, at length, as an armed 



84 SYMBOLS OF CHRIST. 

man. They fell from their high position of refine- 
ment, and their very name became a type of moral 
degradation. 

How was it with France? She sought to live 
without Christ. She pronounced his light darkness, 
and turned away from it. She proclaimed that 
Christianity was not only needless, but an imposi- 
tion. Slie declared that the Sun of Righteousness 
should not shine upon her domains. She voted that 
Christ was not the "light of the world," and ex- 
tolled her own darkness. The result is well known. 
Morality drooped and died in the streets. Domestic 
and social virtues withered for want of moral light. 
They could not thrive in moral darkness. The na- 
tion became wicked and vile. Her heart festered 
with corruption. She reeled, and almost plunged to 
ruin. It was another illustration that individuals 
and nations will perish without the gospel. Infidel- 
ity is a mighty disorganizer. The bands of society 
cannot hold out against its assaults. They will 
snap asunder. Plants cannot flourish if there is no 
day. A perpetual night destroys them. So the 
heart's virtues perish where the light of Christianity 
does not shine. It was so in Greece and Rome, in 
France and other countries. The nations, as well 
as neighborhoods and families, are to-day illustra- 



THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. 85 

tions of the indispensableness of the gospel to beau- 
tify and bless the moral world. The most immoral 
and godless communities are those where Christ 
has been banished from the habitations. The best 
communities — those in which the highest virtues 
abound — are those which have given Christ a hearty 
welcome. The influence of his truths preserves what 
is good therein, and gives existence to much that 
could not otherwise have a being. New and bloom- 
ing graces spring up under the radiance of gospel 
light from apparently barren soil, just as fair buds 
and blossoms start from the earth beneath the rays 
of the vernal sun. Old, unpromising natural affec- 
tions, dwarfed and warped by the incessant influence 
of sinful customs, bloom with new life and loveliness, 
as the dry, leafless stock and branch put on gar- 
ments of grace when spring-time drives stern winter 
from the earth. Thus the most desolate regions, 
morally, are converted into fragrant " gardens of 
God," when Christ takes to himself his power, and 
reigns. 

Look at New Zealand. A few years since the in- 
habitants of that island were degraded, filthy canni- 
bals. They had no redeeming qualities. A more 
unpromising people scarcely lived. The beasts of 
the field were as refined as they. Human nature 
8 



86 SYMBOLS OP CHRIST. 

could not be reduced mucli lower in the scale of 
character. Their sin-cursed hearts had parted even 
with natural affection. Those virtues that are not 
dependent upon religion for esistence were trampled 
down, or torn up by the roots ; so that nothing* 
which could be called a family existed. The whole 
island was a moral Sahara, from which the deadly 
simoom of sin had swept the last vestige of moral 
verdure. But Christ went there. The missionaries 
of the cross conveyed him thither. The moment he 
stepped upon those shores, new light spread, and a 
change commenced. Hearts that were turned to 
stone began to feel. Other and healthier influences 
began to circulate. Human nature, dead in " tres- 
passes and sins," showed signs of life. Currents 
of affection that had been frozen by the long winter 
of immorality began to flow. Men seemed like men 
again. The "true Light" dawned upon them, and 
they became "new creatures." The whole people 
were moved. The work of renovation advanced 
rapidly; and now that is a Christian land. What 
the natural sun has done for the physical world, that 
has Christ done for the moral condition of that 
island. He has preserved and vivified what was 
good in their down-trodden humanity, and "new-cre- 
ated " flowers of paradise, so that society there wears 



THE LIGHT OP THE WORLD. 87 

quite aiiotlier appearance. It is a great change 
that greets our eyes when the spring appears after a 
\Yinter of barrenness and gloom, and from the dead 
earth start up forms of life and beauty, as if the 
voice of nature's Crod had proclaimed a resurrection 
of plants and flowers. But equally marked is tb^ 
moral change which has been wrought upon that and 
other portions of the earth, elevating the masses far 
above that low level of bestiality described, inspir- 
ing them with new aims and hopes, and preparing 
them for tli^ glory of the skies. 

One of the most cheering views to be taken of the 
truth as it is in Jesus is this vivifying power which 
is fast filling the earth with moral bloom. Nothing 
can be more delightful than the upspringing of those 
principles and holy aims which the presence of 
Christ begets. Such influence may very properly be 
compared to light. 

Light is purifying. 

It is supposed to be the primary cause of some of 
those phenomena that conspire to render this world 
a safe and blissful abode for man. Dr. Dick says, 
" By this agency all winds are produced, which pu- 
rify the atmosphere by keeping it in perpetual mo- 
tion, which propel our ships across the ocean, dispel 
noxious vapors, prevent pestilential efiluvia, and rid 



88 SYMBOLS OF CHRIST. 

our habitation of a thousand nuisances." If these 
remarks contain the truth, then we are dependent 
upon light for a pure atmosphere, such as may be 
inhaled with safety. 

That the gospel is purifying to the moral atmos- 
phere which we breathe may be inferred from the 
remarks upon its vivifying power. Other words 
need scarcely be added upon this point. "VYe may 
briefly allude, however, by way of illustration, to 
the renovating and elevating influence of a holy 
character. A truly godly man radiates an influence 
that is felt by all £^round him. The community in 
which he resides is made better by his presence. 
He is a living rebuke to every form of wickedness 
that exists therein. Ten such men might save a 
Sodom by their Christian example and work. For, 
as light difl'uses itself through all space, penetrating 
every nook and corner, so the influence of a holy 
life permeates every part of the social organism 
upon which it falls. For this reason, probably, God 
promised to save guilty Sodom from fiery desolation 
if ten righteous men could be found therein. So 
much leaven of the gospel was absolutely required 
to renovate that corrupt mass of humanity. The 
promise to Lot was a recognition of the truth that 
God works by means. If he could have had the 



THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. 89 

cooperation of only ten godly individuals, he would 
have converted even Sodom into a tolerable city for 
moral worth. 

There are examples in our day which seem to sub- 
stantiate this view of the subject. Twenty years 
ago a little church of seven members was organized 
in the city of Hamburg, Germany. The light which 
they set in the Lord's candlestick was very feeble ; 
but the results are glorious. Fifty churches have 
grown out of that humble union of seven members. 
Fifty millions of persons have listened to the preach- 
ing of " Christ and him crucified" in consequence, 
and ten thousand of them have been hopefully con- 
verted. Less than ten righteous persons promise to 
save the city 1 If the power of Christ continues to 
multiply at this rate for one or two centuries to 
come, her salvation will be literally accomplished. 
Kindred examples are numerous in missionary 
fields. Neither are they wanting in our own land 
and times. There is a quiet New England village 
with whose history the writer is somewhat familiar. 
Not many years since, it was a wicked, degraded 
manufacturing village. There was no church there, 
nor even the observance of any religious rite. The 
attention of a pious young man, residing in a neigh- 
boring town, was directed to this godless place. He 
8* 



90 SYMBOLS OP CHRIST. 

opened a Sabbath school. The children came, and 
finally the parents attended. The young man felt 
his responsibility. He yearned over those immortal 
souls. He appointed public services on the Sabbath, 
and officiated himself. The Spirit of God came 
down ; a revival was the result ; many were con- 
verted. The place is now flourishing and moral, 
with two or three churches well sustained and use- 
ful. In this case, a single individual was the author 
of the purifying process. 

Instances of this character are numerous among 
the hills and valleys of New England ; but we need 
not cite them. Every person, doubtless, has been 
the witness of one or more examples of true piety, 
whose renovating influence has been similar. How 
often is vice abashed in the presence of exalted holi- 
ness ! Its filthy lips are rebuked into silence, and 
its evil eye made to quail before it. The unexpected 
appearance of some well-known righteous man in a 
profane circle often puts a period to blaspheming 
utterances. The fact indicates the purifying tenden- 
cy of holiness. So that we are constrained to say, 
if this be true of man, how much more must it be 
true of Christ ! The more he is known by any peo- 
ple, the more do they desire to be like him. A clear, 
correct view of his sinless character is purifying in 



THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. 91 

Itself. It is suggestive of higher and holier ways. 
It familiarizes the mind with the highest pattern of 
goodness. It wakens purer thoughts and desires. 
If every son and daughter of Adam could be made 
to study and know Christ as he is, so as to admire 
and imitate his character, the promised millennium 
would immediately dawn upon us. This is owing to 
the purifying tendency of the light that radiates 
from his perfections. 

Light scatters darkness. 

At this point the legitimate and special use of the 
symbol appears. It is probable that Christ had 
reference to the dispersion of the moral darkness in 
which the world was enveloped when he claimed to 
be "the Light of the world." This thought has been 
implied in the foregoing remarks. The Saviour had 
spent the night, as we have said, in the Mount of 
Olives, communing with the Father. His mind was 
familiar with darkness as it wrapped the slumbering 
world while he prayed. Hence, when the rising sun 
poured his brightness over hill and valley, the thought 
was very natural, " So shall the world's spiritual 
night disappear before the light which I shall shed 
abroad." This was probably the sum and substance 
of the Saviour's meaning when he compared himself 
to the light. But this embraces, in the details, the 



92 SYMBOLS OP CHRIST. 

vivifying and purifying developments of which men- 
tion has been made. We have pointed to the prog- 
ress of the gospel in this and other lands, and cited 
facts to prove that its tendency is to renovate the 
earth ; from which its power to scatter moral dark- 
ness may be inferred. It is not necessary, therefore, 
to dwell upon this part of the subject, except to 
meet an objection that is sometimes pressed against 
this view. 

Some writers contend that the world is not be- 
coming better under the spread of the gospel, but 
that, on the other hand, it is waxing worse and 
worse. This view is advocated by a few men of 
celebrity. If it be true, then the gospel has no ten- 
dency to disperse moral darkness. But it cannot 
be true. Such a sentiment is contrary to Philosophy 
and Fact. Christianity is a religion of progress, or 
the Lord's prayer is unmeaning jargon. Jesus, whom 
we accept as our well-beloved Saviour, taught his 
disciples to pray, "Thy kingdom come." If any 
meaning attaches to this supplication, it is that 
Christ will multiply his triumphs until his glorious 
kingdom fills the earth. If mankind are waxing 
worse as time rolls on, and that, too, by a law of 
God, then we are taught to pray against the decis- 
ions of the court of heaven. Our praying breath is 



THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. 93 

spent m vain. Our faith, also, droops and dies un- 
der the influence of this cheerless doctrine. The 
idea that the world will not grow better, though we 
labor and pray for it, is not very favorable for the 
development of faith in toils or prayers. All the 
highest and noblest elements of Christian activity 
are withered by the touch of this unphilosophical 
and unscriptural sentiment. 

The experience and observation of every person 
of threescore years are sufficient to disprove this the- 
ory. His thoughts run back to a period when art, 
science, and religion had made little progress, com- 
paratively, in the earth. In his childhood the com- 
forts and luxuries of civilization were not a tithe so 
great. The means of education were small, and 
ignorance abounded. The modes of conveyance, the 
facilities of communication between different sec- 
tions of country, the various implements of toil, and 
other things pertaining to human progress, were 
then very imperfect, in comparison with their present 
value. The nations, too, were sitting in darkness. 
No effort was made to send the gospel to them. 
Idolatry commanded the homage of millions of the 
race. The gates of nations were barred against 
Christ. He could not enter to set up his kingdom. 
But now, how changed ! The herald of salvation 



94 SYMBOLS OF CHRIST. 

visits almost every land. He proclaims Christ, and 
gathers churches, under the very shadow of idol 
temples. He introduces the arts and sciences of this 
more highly favored country into the most benighted 
regions. Thus a change has been wrought in hea- 
then lands, within the memory of persons of sixty or 
seventy years, which assures us that the world is 
becoming better. 

Having at hand a succinct account of the change 
that has been wrought in the Sandwich Islands by 
the gospel, I will make a few extracts from it in 
confirmation of the foregoing. " Before missionary 
operations commenced, the people were, if not in the 
lowest state of barbarism in which men are ever 
found, yet certainly in a very low state of intellectu- 
al, social, and moral debasement ; with no written 
language, with no comfortable dwellings, with very 
little clothing, with the family constitution in ruins, 
unmitigated licentiousness universal, and every vile 
passion indulged without restraint ; the people ' a 
nation of drunkards,' with no laws or courts of jus- 
tice. Society was a dead sea of pollution, and many 
ships visiting the islands were floating exhibitions 
of ' Sodom and Gomorrah.' The government was 
wholly arbitrary ; the kings and priests were consid- 
ered the owners of the soil, and the people were 



THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. 95 

slaves, with their property and their lives subject to 
the will of those above them." Within ten years 
from that time, " Not only had the language of the 
islands been reduced to writing, but two printing 
presses were in operation at Honolulu, at which 
387,000 copies in all, of twenty-two distinct books 
in the native tongue, had been printed, amounting 
to 10,287,800 pages. A large edition of the Gospels 
of Matthew, Mark, and John had also been printed 
in the United States for the mission, swelling the 
whole number of pages in the Hawaiian language to 
13,632,800. Nine hundred native schools, for teach- 
ing the people to read, were in operation, and about 
45,000 scholars, about 21,000 readers, and more 
than 3000 writers were reported. The government 
had adopted the moral law of God as the basis of its 
future administration, and recognized the Christian 
religion as the religion of the nation. Most of the 
higher chiefs and rulers were members of the church 
of Christ. Special laws against the grosser vices, 
and also against retailing ardent spirits. Sabbath 
breaking, and gambling, had been enacted and were 
enforced, and the Christian law of marriage was the 
law of the land." Since that period the progress 
has been still more marked. Now the government 
is classed with the Christian governments of the 



96 SYMBOLS OF CHRIST. 

age. " In no country probably are the children 
more universally collected into schools. The gov- 
ernment expends near $50,000 annually for purposes 
of education ; of which between $25,000 and $30,000 
is for the support of common schools." " External 
morality is more generally practised here," writes- 
the pastor of the church in Hilo, the largest church 
in the world, " than in most nations, or perhaps any 
nation. Nowhere on earth are life and property 
more secure. Nowhere may the people sleep with 
open doors, by the way side or in the forest, with 
more safety than here. Nowhere may the traveller 
with more impunity encamp where night overtakes 
him, lay his purse by his side, hang his watch on a 
tree, and commit himself to sleep. Open crimes are 
of rare occurrence here." Again the same writer 
says, " Allow me to say that the gospel has effected 
a signal triumph on these shores. Savageism has 
fled before it, never to return. Idolatry, in its 
grossest forms, has fallen, never to rise again. 
Ignorance and superstition have fled apace before 
its rising light.'' 

Such is one example of progress by means of 
Christianity. Such instances might be multiplied. 
Can we say, in view of them, that mankind are be- 
coming more corrupt? that the world continues to 



THE LIGHT OP THE WORLD. 97 

deteriorate in moral character? that the light of 
truth does not scatter moral darkness from the 
earth ? This cannot be said, I repeat, without deny- 
ing the most obvious facts. On every hand we 
behold that Christ illuminates society. Directly and 
indirectly he blesses and elevates men wherever he 
is welcomed. It is a truth, illustrated again and 
again, that man has no better friend than Jesus. 
He is the Prince of benefactors. In him every long- 
ing is satisfied, every want is supplied. This augurs 
well for the future. We may adopt the beautiful 
hymn of Montgomery as the language of our hearts : 

*' He shall come down like showers 

Upon the fruitful earth, 
And love, joy, hope, like flowers, 

Spring in his path to birth : 
Before him, on the mountains, 

Shall Peace, the herald, go ; 
And Righteousness, iii fountains. 

From hill to valley flow. 

" Arabia's desert ranger 

To him shall bow the knee, 
The Ethiopian stranger 

His glory come to see ; 
With offerings of devotion. 

Ships from the isles shall meet, 
To pour the wealth of ocean 

In tribute at his feet 

9 



98 SYMBOLS OF CHRIST. 

" Kings shall fall down before him, 

And gold and incense bring, 
All nations shall adore liim, 

His praise all people sing : 
For he shall have dominion 

O'er river, sea, and shore, 
Far as the eagle's pinion 

Or dove's light wing can soar.'* 

In close connection with the foregoing there is 
another thought. Light is an apt symbol of Christ, 
not only in respect to the fact of removing spiritual 
darkness, but also in respect to the rapidity with 
which his truth advances. Swiftness is one of the 
qualities of light ; and no one can ponder the in- 
stances of the gospel's triumph cited, without per- 
ceiving the rapid strides which it has made at times. 
In the days of the apostles it was eminently so. 
Were all Christians active in cooperating with the 
Saviour at the present time, its advancement would 
be far more rapid. We see enough of its progress 
to show us that it might spread well nigh with the 
rapidity of light. 

It is also a pleasing thought for the Christian to 
revolve, that the gospel, like light, is indestructible. 
No earthly power can destroy a sunbeam. The 
whole race of men might encounter the sun's rays, 
and beat against them with all their might, and still 
they shine on, unquenched and undimmed. It is so 



THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. 99 

with the truth in Christ. It has been assailed by 
the strongest powers of earth. It has been stretched 
upon the rack, and immured in dungeons. It has 
been legislated and voted down. It has been pro- 
scribed and excommunicated. Its progress has been 
opposed by " iron bars and brazen gates." But it 
hart not been destroyed. Men have been little more 
successful in their attempts to extirpate it from the 
earth, than they would be in issuing decrees and 
proclaiming war against the sun. Persecution has 
not crippled its power. Fire and the sword have 
not reduced it to ashes, nor left it expiring upon 
the field of conflict. Revolutions have not buried 
it beneath shattered thrones and governments. 
From every hard-fought battle and convulsion of 
ages past, it has come forth victorious, without a 
stain of blood, or the minutest soil of sin upon its 
armor. So will it ever be, until the last foe of Jesus 
surrenders, and lays down his weapons of rebellion, 
amid the jubilant shouts of those who ascend to 
glory with " songs and everlasting joy upon their 
heads." 

Here, too, is symbolized the power of truth. Per- 
haps we are not accustomed to regard light as a 
powerful agent. It is so friendly and cheering in its 
beams that it appears to be rather emblematical of 
gentleness. How silently it falls ! There is no 



100 SYMBOLS OF CHRIST. 

noise in its coming — no sound in its departure. 
We think generally of the thunder and the earth- 
quake when we look for illustrations of power. But 
these are feeble in comparison with that agent that 
develops a flower. It is evidence of greater force 
to cause a plant to bud and blossom than to tottle 
down a fortress. And this is the constant influence 
of light. Says a popular writer, " The prairies 
waving with wheat, and the forests studded w4th 
oaks, make no noise ; and the electricity which roars 
in the thunder peal is not a tithe so powerful as that 
which sleeps in the light." In this regard, then, 
light is a fit symbol of Christ. His gospel is unpre- 
tending and noiseless, yet " mighty to pull down the 
strongholds of Satan." It is not only indestructi- 
ble, as we have seen, but irresistible. The facts 
cited prove that it is omnipotent to achieve through 
the sanctifying power of the Spirit. We have 
spoken of its vivifying the lifeless virtues of human- 
ity, and creating moral loveliness in the midst of 
spiritual barrenness. More power is required to 
give existence to the smallest grace of religion than 
to revolutionize a government, or to rear a pyramid. 
The light which the Saviour has radiated from his 
character and works has wrought changes which 
all the armies of the earth could not have eff'ectcd. 



V. 

THE GOOD SHEPHERD. 

" I am the good Shepherd," 

There is a fold whence none can stray, 

And pastures ever green, 
Where sultry sun, or stormy day, 

Or night is never seen. 

Far up the everlasting hills. 

In God's own light it lies ; 
His smile its vast dimension fills 

With joy that never dies. 

One narrow way, one darksome wave, 

Divides that land from this ; 
I have a Shepherd, pledged to save, 

And bear me home to bliss. Eev. J. East. 

Travellers inform us that one of the principal 
pleasures in visiting Oriental countries is derived 
from the light and beauty reflected upon the imagery 
of the Scriptures borrowed from pastoral life. The 
employments and scenes of this mode of life are thus 
made to subserve the high purpose of illustrating 
and enforcing the truth. The instructions of our 
9 *- (ion 



102 SYMBOLS OF CHRIST. 

Lord abound in such pleasing illustrations and fig* 
ures, so that his simple and lucid discourses are truly 
ornate. The human heart yields to the charm which 
such allusions impart to the Saviour's counsels. Old 
and young are alike swayed by this kind of writing. 
It is invested with a sort of witchery that refined 
spirits, at least, cannot resist. 

In all the imagery that Christ employed to enforce 
important truths, perhaps none is more delightful 
than that which is borrowed from the life of the 
shepherd. Here the church is denominat^fd a " sheep 
fold," its members are the " sheep," and Christ is the 
" good Shepherd." Perhaps no human employment 
ever possessed so many innocent attractions as that 
of tending flocks. It was always regarded honora- 
ble ; and in some ages and nations it was deemed 
worthy of the most refined and gifted men. Its his- 
tory runs back to the days of Abel, and it is asso- 
ciated with the lives of some of the greatest and 
holiest men of primitive ages. Moses, with all his 
learning and refinement, " kept the flock of Jethro 
his father-in-law, the priest of Midian." The first 
forty years of his life were spent in the court of 
Pharaoh ; the second forty years he was a shepherd ; 
and the third forty years he was a leader and 
ruler of Israel. Says a writer, " The patriarchal 



THE GOOD SHEPHERD. 103 

shepherds, rich in flocks and herds, in silver and 
gold, and attended by a numerous train of servants 
purchased with their money, or hired from the neigh- 
boring towns and villages, acknowledged no civil 
superior ; they held the rank and exercised the 
rights of sovereign princes ; they concluded alli- 
ances with the kings in whose territory they tended 
their flocks ; they made peace or war with the sur- 
rounding states ; and, in fine, they wanted nothing 
of sovereign authority but the name." 

The shepherds of the East were a mild and gentle 
class, characterized by profound reverence for God. 
Their occupation was peculiarly adapted to famil- 
iarize their minds with the wisdom, power, and good- 
ness of Him who made heaven and earth. Every 
natural object witnesses to the skill of the Creator, 
from the tiniest flower to the loftiest tree. " The 
heavens declare the glory of God ; and the firma- 
ment showeth his handiwork. Day unto day uttereth 
speech, and night unto night showeth knowledge." 
On hill and plain, in " green pastures," and beside 
" still waters," the shepherd is reminded of God. 
And, independent of this looking '' through nature 
up to nature's God," rural scenes exert a softening 
and subduing influence upon every mind that is able 
to appreciate their beauties. There is no doubt that 



104 SYMBOLS OF CHKIST. 

human character is affected more or less by natnral 
scenery. This is a fact which has been noticed and 
ably discussed by distinguished writers. And if 
this be true, the occupation of the shepherd is sin- 
gularly adapted to impress his social and moral na- 
ture. In the light of such facts there appears to be 
marked appropriateness in Christ's reference to 
himself as the " good Shepherd.'' We shall be able 
to perceive the full force of the allusion, however, 
only by considering some of the characteristics of a 
good shepherd, as he was known when Christ was 
on earth. 

He knew his flock. 

" I am the good Shepherd, and know my sheep^ and 
am known of mine." This allusion contains rich 
and precious thoughts for the Christian. The good 
shepherds of Palestine were able to distinguish 
their own flocks from others, though many flocks 
might have huddled together. They were able to 
go into the fields and select their own sheep from 
any number feeding there. This was done partly 
by the eye and partly by the voice. They might 
not have been able to distinguish all their sheep by 
looking at them, but whenever they were not able 
to note them in this way, they had only to lift the 
voice, and immediately every sheep accustomed to 



THE GOOD SHEPHERD. 105 

it would follow. To this Christ referred when he 
said, " and am known of mine." His allusion to 
this fact was still more explicit when he said, " The 
sheep hear his voice, and he calleth his own sheep 
by name, and leadeth them out. And when he put- 
teth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and 
the sheep follow him ; for they know his voiceJ^ No 
matter how far any one of the flock had strayed, if 
she could but hear the shepherd's voice, she followed 
and was safe. But no other voice was regarded 
except with alarm. Hence the words, "And a 
stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him : 
for they know not the voice of strangers." They 
perceived nothing friendly in its sound. They were 
accustomed to the voice of the shepherd, and under- 
stood its meaning. 

A good shepherd was known from the fact that 
his flock knew him. If he was a watchful, careful, 
tender, faithful shepherd, the flock ran at his call, 
and exhibited the strongest affection for him. But 
if, on the other hand, he was negligent, unkind, and 
severe, they wandered away, or reluctantly followed. 
Therefore the appearance of the flock in this regard 
would quite accurately indicate the character of 
the shepherd. How appropriate the allusion, " and 
know my sheep, and am known of mine " I This 
could be said of no other than a s;ood. pher^ '^^''^. 



106 SYMBOLS OF CHRIST. 

The term " know " expresses more than bare 
recognition — it includes something of love, conli- 
dence. The most marked attachment subsisted be- 
tween the shepherd and his flock. Those who have 
been eye witnesses of the fact say that the strongest 
affection of the dog for his master does not exceed 
that of the sheep for their faithful guides. He 
handled and caressed them much as men do the most 
playful pets. When danger threatened, they ran to 
him. The howling of a wolf sent the most distant 
of the flock bounding back to the shepherd. They 
appeared to feel safe at his side. 

This acquaintance of the shepherd with his flock 
was even more marked. We read, " He calleth his 
own sheep by name." And does he actually name 
his sheep ? We are so informed. Hartley, in his 
" Journal of a Tour in Greece," says, " I asked my 
man if it was usual in Greece to give names to the 
sheep. He informed me that it was, and that the 
sheep obeyed when he called them by their names. 
This morning I had an opportunity of verifying the 
truth of this remark. Passing by a flock of sheep, 
I asked the shepherd the same question which I had 
put to the servant, and he gave me the same answer. 
I then bade him call one of his sheep. He did so, 
and it instantly left its pasturage and its compan- 



THE GOOD SHEPHERD. 107 

ions, and ran up to the hand of the shepherd with 
signs of pleasure, and with a prompt obedience. It 
is also true of the sheep in this country, that, ' A 
stranger they will not follow, but will flee from him, 
for they know not the voice of strangers.^ The 
shepherd told me that many of his sheep were still 
wild ; that they had not yet learned their names ; 
but that by teaching they would all learn them." 
Paxton and other writers confirm the above state- 
ment. These names were usually suggested by some 
peculiarity about the animal. Thus Roberts says, 
" Should a sheep or cow have a bad temper, (or any 
other failing,) it will be called the angry one, the 
malicious, or sulky, or wandering one ; the killer 
of her young, the fiend ; the mad one, the jumper, 
the limper, the dwarf, the barren, the fruitful, the 
short, the fat, the tricky one." 

In all this there is much to render the relation of 
Christ to his church, as Shepherd, very interesting 
and affecting. He knows " whom he has chosen." 
He is not merely acquainted with his flock as a 
whole — he knows each individual member. He un- 
derstands the particular character, aims, hopes, joys, 
and sorrows of each. When he says, " I am the 
good Shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known 
of mine," he means to express his deep interest in. 



108 SYMBOLS OP CHRIST. 

and intimate knowledge of, his cliildren. His knowl- 
edge of them is so particular and thorough that he 
calls them by name. Nor is it difficult to give char- 
acteristic names to each one of the number. They 
may be derived from some moral peculiarity belong- 
ing to each one. There is Thomas, who might be 
called the doubter ; and John, the beloved ; and 
Peter, the coward ; and Stephen, the martyr ; and 
Judas, the traitor ; and Abraham, the faithful ; and 
Moses, the meek ; and thus on through the entire 
church. The weakness of one, the humility of an- 
other, the rashness of a third, the fidelity of a fourth, 
the worldliness of a fifth, are all peculiarities which 
are known to the great Head of the church. He 
knows each member of the Christian flock for such 
one of these characteristics as marks him in the 
fold. It is a pleasant thought, and a startling one 
too — pleasant to the pure in heart, to the humble, 
faithful, holy ; but startling to the careless, worldly, 
and slothful. Yes ; the eye of Him who never sleeps 
or slumbers glances over " the sheep of his pasture," 
and he sees who is afar off, and who is near by, who 
wanders, and who follows. There can be no con- 
cealment, no deception. 

And then how consoling the thought that he 
knows every earthly trial of his children ! No 



THE GOOD SHEPHERD. 109 

slieplierd ever knew and cared for the lame, sick, 
and feeble of his flock with greater devotion than 
Christ sympathizes with his followers in their wants 
and woes. " He gathereth the lambs with his arm, 
and carrieth them in his bosom, and gently leadeth 
those that are with young." Does he not thus enter 
into every particular circumstance of mortal life ? 
Ah, yes ! He is a Shepherd who attends his flock 
on the mountain of joy and in the vale of sorrow. 
He knows them in every condition and place. 

A good shepherd led his flock. 

" He goeth before them, and the sheep follow." 
He did not attempt to drive them, for this would 
have been impossible. The flock would have been 
thrown into confusion, or scattered by the attempt 
to drive, as churches have sometimes been rent 
asunder by spiritual leaders who love coercion. In 
Anderson's Tour through Greece, we read that, " All 
day long the shepherd attends his flock, leading them 
into ' green pastures,' near fountains of water, and 
chooses a convenient place for them to ' rest at 
noon.' " Often flocks were so numerous that shep- 
herds were obliged to drive them to a great distance 
for pasturage, and be absent weeks and even months. 
Of this fact Eoberts speaks as follows : " As the 
sons of Jacob had to go to a great distance to feed 
10 



110 SYMBOLS OF CHRIST. 

tlieir flocks, so still they are often absent for one 
and two months together, in the place where there 
is plenty of pasturage. In their removals it is in- 
teresting to see the shepherds carrying the lambs in 
their bosoms, and also to witness how gently they 
' lead those that are with young.' " 

It is customary for the shepherd to select a green 
spot, and there take his position, when the flock im- 
mediately gather around him to crop the vegetation. 
When the feed is exhausted in that place, he removes 
to another, and thus on, day after day and week 
after week. The flock depends entirely upon him 
for places of sustenance and rest. They hesitate 
not to follow him wherever he leads the way, over 
lofty mountains, down rugged hills, through valley 
and desert. 

A mere hireling is often negligent in selecting the 
most luxurious spots for the flock. If he consults 
his ease he is very likely to seek rest for himself 
rather than rich fields for his sheep. But the good 
shepherd is distinguished for leading to "green pas- 
tures." He performs wearisome journeys in search 
of such inviting fields. Paxton informs us that 
Arabian shepherds sometimes went into Egypt, a 
distance of four hundred leagues, to find the best 
grazing regions. No fatigue, hardship, or danger 



THE GOOD SHEPHERD. Ill 

deterred them from the attempt to feed their flocks 
in this generous way. 

He also led them " beside the still waters." It 
was a very important and often difficult Avork for a 
shepherd to supply his flock with water. The foun- 
tain and stream were seldom found in the desert, 
where the Oriental shepherd was often obliged to 
lead his flock. Eastern deserts are not altogether 
barren wastes. Here and there oases appear ; and 
small streams and bubbling springs relieve the deso- 
lation. These were sought by the shepherd who 
performed his pastoral duties with fidelity. Vege- 
tation thrived around these " still waters," so that 
two objects were secured by finding them. 

With these facts before us, we perceive great force 
and beauty in such texts as the following : " The 
Lord is my Shepherd ; I shall not want. He mak- 
eth me to lie down in green pastures ; he leadeth 
me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul ; 
he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his 
name sake." " He shall feed his flock like a shep- 
herd." " I will feed them in a good pasture, and 
upon the high mountains of Israel shall their fold 
be : there shall they lie in a good fold, and in a fat 
pasture shall they feed upon the mountains of Is- 
rael. I will feed my flock, and I will cause them to 



112 SYMBOLS OF (5HRIST. 

lie down, saith the Lord God." '' I will set up one 
Shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even 
my servant David ; he shall feed them, and he shall 
be their Shepherd." " They shall feed in the ways, 
and their pastures shall be in all high places. They 
shall not hunger nor thirst ; neither shall the heat 
nor sun smite them ; for He that hath mercy on them 
shall lead them ; even b}^ the springs of water shall 
he guide them, and I will make all my mountains a 
way, and my highways shall be exalted." " I am 
THE GOOD Shepherd." 

The relation of Christ to his followers could not 
be more appropriately expressed than it is by this 
figurative language. lie ^'kadeth^'' them, and the 
faithful ones follow at his call. They "know his 
voice," for it has often fallen tenderly upon their 
ears, and it is easily distinguished from that of the 
deceiver. " He goeth before them." It is not rough 
driving, but gentle guiding. He does not take them 
over an unknown road ; he himself has trodden it 
before. He hath drunk of every "brook by the 
way. " He himself hath " suffered, being tempted ; " 
he is "able to succor them that are tempted." He 
seems to say, " Fear not ; I cannot lead you wrong ; 
follow me in the bleak waste, the blackened wilder- 
ness, as well as by the green pastures and the still 
waters. Do you ask why I ha.ve left the sunny side 



THE GOOD SHEPHERD. 113 

of the valley, — carpeted with flowers, and bathed in 
sunshine, — leading you to some high mountain apart, 
some cheerless spot of sorrow ? Trust me, I will 
lead you by paths you have not known, but they 
are all known to me, and selected by me — * Follow 
thou me.' " * 

Alas for the careless ones who heed not the voice 
of the Shepherd ! See them famishing " in a dry and 
thirsty land, where no water is ! " See them fall 
upon the dark mountains of sin ! 

What could more forcibly express the truths, 
promises, and glorious revelations of the divine 
Word, than " green pastures " ? How rich, promising, 
and refreshing to the immortal soul! Thousands 
have followed Christ thither, and found a " feast of 
fat things." And the "still waters" — how aptly 
do they symbolize the crystal fountain of salvation ! 
" Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the wa- 
ters." " With joy shall ye draw water out of the 
wells of salvation." Swe^t, gracious promise ! To 
thirsty souls in this desert world, how reviving ! 

" So pilgrims on the scorching sand, 
Beneath a burning sky, 
Long for a cooling stream at hand, 
And they must drink or die," 

* Words of Jesus, p. 33. 

10* 



114 SYMBOLS OP CHRIST. 

To those sources of spiritual joy, refreshment, hope, 
strength, and life, the good Shepherd leadeth. 

The shepherd was often deceived in the wilder- 
ness in regard to the existence of fountains and 
streams. Paxton speaks of this circumstance as 
follows : *' Often, as he pursues his journey, a broad 
expanse of water, clear as crystal, seems to open to 
his view ; and faint and weary under the fierce sun- 
beam, he gazes on the unexpected relief with ineffa- 
ble delight, and fondly anticipates a speedy termi- 
nation to his present distress. He quickens his pace, 
and hastens to the spot ; but to his utter disappoint- 
ment, the vision disappears, and nothing remains but 
the dry and thirsty wilderness." But there is no 
such deception where the "great Shepherd and 
Bishop of souls " leads the way. No fainting mem- 
ber of his flock ever truly sought the " green pas- 
tures" and "still waters" in vain. They have 
found the real pool and overflowing fountain, and 
have had a rich experience of grace and mercy in 
Christ, of which the prophet gives appropriate sym- 
bols. "And the parched ground shall become a 
pool, and the thirsty land springs of water." 

Nor is this all. The blessing that flows from 
the service of Christ on earth is only d^ foretaste of a 
richer experience when the flock shall be folded in 



THE GOOD SHEPHERD. 115 

the heavenly Canaan. Peace, safety, rest, joy, glory 
— these are some of the elements of that immortal 
life which the faithful will have in the " Better 
Land." " For the Lamb which is in the midst of 
the throne shall feed them, and lead them unto liv- 
ing fountains of waters ; and God shall wipe away 
all tears from their eyes." 

The good shepherd was tender of his flock. 

I have said already that Eastern shepherds were 
proverbially mild and gentle. The prosperity and 
existence of their flocks depended upon their tender 
care. At one time the shepherds of Egypt were an 
"abomination," according to the inspired penman. 
Some commentators suppose that they were called 
thus because of their unkindness and cruelty. 
"Whether this was so or not, the utmost tenderness 
on the part of the shepherd was necessary to lead a 
flock successfully. They were obliged to be tender 
in leading, tender in watching, and tender in folding 
them. How touchingly Jacob alluded to this when 
Esau, after their reconciliation, said, " Let us take 
our journey, and let us go, and I will go before thee." 
" My lord knoweth," replied Jacob, " that the chil- 
dren are tender, and the flocks and herds with young 
are with me, and if men should overdrive them one 
day, all the flock will die." So careful was the 
patriarch of his flocks! 



116 SYMBOLS OF CHRIST. 

Dr. Shaw remarks, " The greatest skill and vigi- 
lance, and even tender care, are required in the man- 
agement of such immense flocks as wander on the 
Syrian plains. Their prodigious numbers compel 
the keepers to remove them too frequently in search 
of fresh pastures, which proves very destructive to 
the young that have not strength to follow." Ander- 
son says, " He, (the shepherd,) when travelling, ten- 
derly watches over them, and carries such as are 
exhausted in his armsP "We have already quoted a 
paragraph from Roberts, in which he says, " It is an 
interesting sight to see the shepherds carrying the 
lambs in their bosoms, and also to see how gently 
they ' lead those that are with young,' " This last 
quotation alludes to the custom that prevails among 
shepherds of carrying the little lambs in their arms 
as they move from one place to another. Travellers 
frequently speak of this as a very touching scene. 
The dams will stand by their new-born offspring 
until they perish if the shepherd does not bear the 
feeble creatures to the fold. As soon as the fond 
parent sees the lamb safe in the shepherd's bosom, 
she confidingly and happily walks along by his side. 
The whole scene is one of deepest interest. 

Similar care was exercised over the lame, the ex- 
hausted, and the sick. Some observers have said 



THE GOOD SHEPHEED. 117 

that children are not cared for with more concern, 
apparently, than the shepherd exhibited for the suf- 
fering ones of his charge. 

Now take, in this connection, the allusions of the 
Scriptures to these marks of tenderness in setting 
forth the attributes of the great Shepherd. The 
prophet Isaiah foretold of the Saviour, that "he 
shall gather the lambs in his arms, and carry them 
in his bosom." And did he not, when upon earth, 
take little children in his arms and bless them ? 
When the people rebuked the loving mothers for 
bringing their infants to receive his benediction, did 
he not say, " Suffer the little children to come unto me, 
and forbid them not ; for of such is the kingdom of 
God ? '^ Behold a shepherd with a lamb in his bo- 
som ! Behold Christ with a child in his arms ! How 
striking the symbol ! How accurate the prediction ! 
And in a more important sense tlie Saviour carries 
the lambs of the household flock in his bosom. 
More than half the number whose tiny voices send 
gladness and joy through the homes of earth, are 
taken to the Saviour's bosom in childhood — safe 
there from the cold storms of sorrow, and the as- 
saults of the tempter. Why will not the pa.rent as 
confidingly leave them there, as the gentle dam of 
the East trusts her lambkin in the arms of the shep- 



118 SYMBOLS OF CHRIST. 

herd? Is not the great Shepherd tender and 
watchful ? May he not have saved the little ones a 
bitter experience, and hard fate, in this world of sin 
and trial ? 

We are told of an Eastern shepherd, who, on fold- 
ing his flock one night, perceived a solitary sheep in 
the distance. He called, and called, but she only 
looked wistfully towards him. After all his endeav- 
ors to allure her to the fold, she did not come. He 
approached her, and found a new-born lamb in the 
grass. He took it in his arms to bear away, when 
the fond mother at once and joyfully followed after. 
So we have seen a mother refuse the calls of Christ, 
though he called again and again. But by and by, 
when he came and took a child, and bore it away in 
his bosom, she followed him to her joy. The great 
Shepherd is wise, and knows how to win souls to 
himself. 

No one can fail to see the appropriateness of the 
foregoing reference to Christ in respect to tender- 
ness. This development of character appears in all 
his acts and works. When he wept over Jerusalem, 
and at the grave of Lazarus, and when he provided 
for his mother in the hour of crucifixion, and ex- 
hibited such watchful care over his disciples, loving 
them to the end, he exhibited this winning trait. 



THE GOOD SHEPHERD. 119 

We are taught that he has special solicitude for 
the weak and tempted, for he has been " in all points 
tempted like as we are." His tender care extends 
to all the young, and he has uttered special and 
cheering promises for them. " Those that seek me 
early shall find me.'^ And how thoroughly it per- 
vades those pathetic utterances of his like the fol- 
lowing : " Come unto me, all ye that labor and are 
heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my 
yoke upon you, and learn of me ; for I am meek and 
lowly in heart ; and ye shall find rest unto your 
souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." 

In this connection I may properly refer to another 
custom with shepherds. They were wont to carry 
a staff with them, crooked at one end, and hence it 
is sometimes called a "crook." The Psalmist al- 
luded to this in the psalm beginning, " The Lord is 
my Shepherd," when he said, " Thy rod and thy staff 
they comfort me." This staff was crooked at the 
end with reference to the size and form of the neck 
of sheep, so that when they crowded together at a 
pool or stream of water, the shepherd could reach 
forth the staff, and, placing the crooked end around 
the neck of the sheep, one after another, pull them 
back, without injuring them at all. It was a very 
tender way of correcting an evil among the flocks. 



120 SYMBOLS OF CHRIST. 

This custom points significantly to tbe gentle man- 
ner by which Christ restrains his followers from 
moral excesses. They are prcne to venture too far 
into the world, and to drink too long and deeply 
from the fountain of earthly pleasure, so that he is 
obliged to draw them back, and check their tenden- 
cy to waywardness and folly. This he does by 
those trials and afflictions which come and go at his 
bidding. "A worldly spirit has strong influences 
to check it. What a lecture a fever gives to it ! or 
a funeral ! What a lesson the grave-yard reads in 
its ears ! What a rebuke, when the man bears to 
the tomb the son for whom he thought he was 
hoarding his thousands ! The miseries we suffer 
are sent to repress a spirit of worldliness which 
might ruin us without them." 

The good shepherd searches for ""the sheep that 
is gone astray." 

If he has " a hundred sheep, and one of them 
be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and 
nine, and goeth unto the mountains, and seeketh 
that which is gone astray?" This the faithful shep- 
herd always did. When one of the flock strayed 
away, she never returned of herself, but v/an- 
dered farther and farther into the wilderness ; 
and it was often the most wearisome, and even peril- 



THE GOOD SHEPHEED. 121 

ons undertaking to search for these wanderers. But 
the good shepherd was distinguished for his perse- 
verance in this pastoral duty. He plunged into 
tangled forests, stopping not for wounds nor weari- 
ness, and considered himself amply rewarded if he 
found that which was lost. And " how tenderly the 
shepherd handled that sheep which cost him all this 
labor and fatigue ! He did not punish it ; he did not 
smite, nor even harshly drive it back to the fold ; nay, 
he did not deliver it to a servant, but he laid it 
upon his own shoulders, and himself carefully car- 
ried it, till he brought it to the fold." So we read, 
" And when he hath found it, he layeth it upon his 
shoulders rejoicing." 

In like manner Christ pursues the wanderers from 
his flock. " All we, like sheep, have gone astray ; " 
and not one would return unless he sought us. We 
have no disposition to return, nor are we able of 
ourselves to find the way back to the fold. There- 
fore the good Shepherd seeks us in our reckless 
wanderings. He " came to save that which was 
lost," and he goeth after it " until he find it." " As 
a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he 
is among his sheep that are scattered, so will I seek 
out my sheep, and will deliver them out of all places 
11 



122 SYMBOLS OF CHRIST. 

where they have been scattered in the cloudy and 
dark day." "I will seek that which is lost, and 
bring again that which was driven away." How 
many are ready to testify that they should have been 
wanderers still, had not the Saviour followed them 
with his gracious call of mercy! 0, what weari- 
some days and sleepless nights he spent in the 
undertaking! What sorrow and suffering were 
inseparable from that sacred mission ! Say, follower 
of the Lamb, is your heart touched and bowed in 
view of the stupendous sacrifice ? Behold that the 
pursuit led him, not only through vales of sorrow, 
but through " bloody seas " to Calvary and the cross ! 
And all for you, a wanderer ! Well may you sing, — 

" Far from his fold we went astray ; 
The howling wilderness he crossed, 
From Satan plucked us as a prey, 
Nor spared himself to save the lost." 

Says Trench, " There is no image upon which the 
early church seems to have dwelt with greater de- 
light than this of Christ as the good Shepherd 
bringing home his lost sheep. We have abundant 
confirmation of this in the very many gems, seals, 
fragments of glass, and other early Christian relics 
which have reached us, on which Christ is thus 



THE GOOD SHEPHERD. 123 

portraj'ed as bringing back a lost slieep to the fold 
upon his shoulders. From a passing allusion in 
Tertullian we learn that it was in his time painted 
on the chalice of the holy communion. Christ 
appears in the same character of the good Shepherd 
in bass-reliefs on sarcophagi and paintings in the 
catacombs — one of which last is believed to be as 
early as the third century. Sometimes there are 
other sheep at his feet, generally two, looking up 
with apparent pleasure at him and his burden : in 
his right hand he most often holds the seven-reeded 
pipe of Pan, the attractions of divine love ; with his 
left he steadies the burden that he is bearing on his 
shoulders. Sometimes he is sitting down, as if weary 
with the length of the way." 

Surely no device more appropriate could be in- 
scribed upon the communion service than that of 
Christ restoring his lost sheep. For every one who 
lifts the cup to his lip is a living witness to the fact. 
The Lord's supper, with its group of Christian par- 
takers, is a standing memorial of this most precious 
truth, and ever will be "till he come." 

The good shepherd gave " his life for the sheep." 
Robbers and beasts of prey infested pastoral coun- 
tries, so that flocks were destroyed without the 
watchfulness and protection of faithful shepherds. 



124 SYMBOLS OF CHRIST. 

Shepherds have been kncwn to sacrifice their lives 
in defending their flocks from devouring beasts. 
Indeed, he who should have escaped when danger 
was nigh, leaving the innocent sheep to perish, 
would have been thereafter an object of contempt. 
The Saviour alludes to this. " I am the good Shep- 
herd ; the good shepherd giveth his life for the 
sheep. But he that is a hireling, and not the shep- 
herd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf 
coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth ; and the 
wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. The 
hireling fleeth, because he is a hireling, and careth 
not for the sheep." When danger does not threaten, 
and life is not hazarded, the hireling may carefully 
watch over the flock. But when peril lies in his 
path, and the howl of approaching beasts is heard, he 
betakes himself to flight, to his own shame, and the 
destruction of the flock. But the shepherd himself 
has such a deep interest in every one of his flock 
that he braves every peril and protects them to the 
death. 

I need not say that Christ laid down his life for 
the sheep. It is the great central truth of Chris- 
tianity. Without it there is no gospel, and no hope 
for a lost world. For eighteen hundred years his 
followers have commemorated that wonderful fact. 



THE GOOD SHEPHERD. 125 

The sacrament is a perpetual remembrancer of it. 
"He was wounded for our transgressions, he was 
bruised for our iniquities : the chastisement of our 
peace was upon him ; and by his stripes we are 
healed." " He died for us, that, whether we wake 
or sleep, wq should live together with him." " The 
Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to 
minister, and to give his life a ransom for many." 
" And what a life was laid down ! — a life more 
valuable than all the lives of men or of angels — the 
life of an absolutely innocent, an absolutely perfect 
man — a man possessed of all possible wisdom, and 
holiness, and benignity — a man infinitely dignified 
by personal union to Divinity ! The blood shed for 
us, and by which we are redeemed, is infinitely more 
valuable, and therefore the shedding of it infinitely 
more expressive of love, than would have been the 
sacrifice of the Avhole created universe. And then, 
still further, the life was laid down in the room of 
the guilty: the death was the death of a victim. 
Ah, to die on the field of battle in a glorious cause 
is a very different thing from dying on a cross like 
a felonious slave. Yes, the death of our Lord, for 
the salvation of his people, is an overwhelming 
proof that he is the good Shepherd ! " 
11* 



126 SYMBOLS OF CHRIST. 

A single thought more. " And there shall be 
ONE FOLD AND ONE Shepherd ! " One in spirit, one 
in aim, one in hope, one in love ! Now there are 
many folds, and between some of them there is a 
yawning gulf. There is a want of sympathy and 
union without which they will continue to be sep- 
arate and divided. But the day is coming when the 
truly blood-washed sheep will be gathered from 
every flock into one great fold. Then we shall not 
have Presbyterian folds, nor Congregational folds, 
nor Baptist folds, nor Methodist folds, nor any of the 
other folds so numerous ; but there will be the heav- 
enly fold on the plains of paradise — " one fold and 
ONE Shepherd." 

Green pastures and clear streams, 

Freedom and quiet rest, 
Christ's flock enjoy, beneath his beams, 

Or in his shadow rest. 

Secure, amidst alarms. 

From violence or snares. 
The lambs he gathers in his arms, 

And in his bosom bears. 

The wounded and the weak 

He comforts, heals, and binds ; 
The lost he came from heaven to seek, 

And saves them when he finds. 



THE GOOD SHEPHERD. 127 

Conflicts and trials done, 

His glory they behold, 
Where Jesus and his flock are one — 

One Shepherd and one fold. 

MONXaOMERT. 



VI. 

THE TRUE VINE. 

*• I am the true vine." 

Weary pilgrim, lift tliine eye ; 
Downward through the yielding sky, 
Lo ! the vine of Canaan bends. 
Near the hand that faith extends ; 
Branches laden with such fruit 
As thy parching thirst will suit : 
Fainting with the summer's heat, 
Thou art welcome — take and eat. 
Nay, why dost thou trembling stand ? 
Why withhold thy timid hand ? 
'Tis no dream — this vine is true ! 
Taste — the vintage is for you. 
Merit ! — 'tis an idle dream ; 
All thy merit — need of Him ; 
Quicken, then, thy lingering feet : 
Thou art welcome — take and eat. 

Rev. J. East. 

Some commentators suppose that the Saviour said, 
" I am the true vine," at the institution of the Lord's 
supper, the comparison being suggested by the fruit 
of the vine before him. Others think these words 

(128) 



THE TRUE VINE. 129 

•were spoken on his way from the city to the Mount 
of Olives just after the supper was eaten. Others, 
still, are convinced that this comparison was sug- 
gested to him by an artificial, golden vine that dec- 
orated the walls of the temple, and that, therefore, 
these words must have been uttered in that sacred 
place. Of that vine Rosenmueller says that it was 
richly carved, and extended above and around the 
gate seventy cubits high. " The branches, tendrils, 
and leaves were of the finest gold ; the stalks of 
the branches were of the length of the human form, 
and the bunches hanging upon them were of costly 
jewels. Herod first placed it there ; rich and patriotic 
Jews from time to time added to its embellishment ; 
one contributing a new grape, another a leaf, and a 
third even a bunch of the same precious materials. 
If to compute its value at more than twelve millions 
of dollars be an exaggeration, it is nevertheless indis- 
putable that this vine must have had an uncommon 
importance and a sacred meaning in the eyes of the 
Jews." Now, as this splendid vine was an object of 
admfration to all beholders, Jesus might have point- 
ed to it as the symbol of a great truth contained in 
the words which he uttered. It certainly would 
have been a very impressive allusion to those who 
were listening to his discourse. 



130 SYMBOLS OP CHRIST. 

But it is of little consequence to us when or where 
the words were spoken. We are chiefly concerned 
with their meaning. If we can but perceive and 
apply the truth contained therein, the object for 
which they were uttered will be accomplished. 

There is certainly great aptness in this compari- 
son. For the vine is an object of attraction in every 
clime. It is adorned with grace and thrift, and is, 
withal, so useful, that it is almost universally a pet 
plant. 

But in what respects may Christ be compared to 
a vine ? 

The vine is an emblem of humility. 

It is less showy and remarkable in appearance 
than many other plants. It will grow where other 
plants will not. It requires little room for cultiva- 
tion. It creeps upon the earth unless provided with 
support. Tear away its tendrils from the support 
to which they cling, as thie heart's affections do to 
loved ones, and it falls to the earth and flourishes 
there. Compared with lofty trees that spread their 
giant branches to the storms, and especially^with 
vast forests that sublimely lift their aspiring fronts, 
it is very humble indeed. The violet, that grows so 
modestly in the tender grass has always been re- 
garded a humble thing ; but the vine is humbler 



THE TRUE VINE. 131 

still. It is not decked with a single gaud}- color, 
and even its blossom, unlike that of most other 
plants, is devoid of attractions. Perhaps the in- 
spired writer made allusion to this when he said, 
" He shall grow up before him as a tender plant, 
and as a root out of a dry ground ; he hath no form 
nor comeliness ; and when we shall see him there is 
no beauty that we should desire him." Here the 
prophet does not refer to his moral perfections, but 
to his humble origin and appearance. He was so 
humble in his birth and manner of life, appearing 
and living in a way so entirely contrary to the ex- 
pectation of the Jews, that they saw nothing in him 
to admire. 

Moreover, the Saviour was not only humble in 
origin and manner of life, but also in spirit. He 
aspired not after the riches and honors of the world, 
or any thing else that the proud desire. He had 
nothing of that show and splendor which the ambi- 
tious regard as essential to earthly distinction. All 
this he scrupulously avoided as inimical to the great 
design of his mission. He was meek and lowly in 
heart. He " humbled himself, and became obedient 
unto death, even the death of the cross." 

Whatever of greatness belonged to Christ was 
spiritual ; and such greatness always dwells with 



132 SYMBOLS OF CHRIST. 

humility as an essential companion. This is great- 
ness which never loses its dignity and power ; and 
yet it is unassuming, and even retiring. Like the 
vine, it hangs its richest clusters where worldly 
greatness cannot even exist. 

"• The bird that soars on highest wing 
Builds on the ground her lowly nest ; 

And she that doth most sweetly sing, 
Sings in the shade when all things rest ; 

In lark and nightingale we see 

"What honor hath humility." 

The vine grows every where. 

It differs, in this regard, from many other things 
which flourish by careful culture. There is scarcely 
a soil upon which it will not grow, nor a land where 
it cannot be made a source of profit. The traveller 
finds it in every country where the earth is tilled, 
and it even spriugs up in the " wilderness and soli- 
tary place." The poorest cottager can have it 
around his humble abode ; and travellers in the 
East tell us that it is often nearly all that renders 
the dwellings of the poor other than repulsive. It 
can be cultivated almost " without money and with- 
out price," so that it is often the ^oor man's only 
revenue. He plants it beside his walls. He trains 
it over the roof of his humble dwelling. He causes 



THE TRUE VINE. 133 

it to grow in every nook and corner of his home- 
stead. 

The vine will make any kind of a tree or object 
its support. Its vigor and fruitfulness do not de- 
pend upon the object on which it climbs. It thrives 
upon the wild wood of the forest as well as upon a 
golden trellis ; upon the poor man's fence as well as 
on the rich man's arbor. 

In all this we see an appropriate symbol of the 
true vine — Christ. He will abide in every land. 
He will yet be found on every shore. That is the 
promise of the Most High. That is the object of 
Christ's coming. His gospel is suited to the wants 
of every people, and every heart. It flourishes as 
really in the east as in the west, in the north as in 
the south. It has been planted in the cheerless re- 
gions of superstition and idolatry, and it has grown 
there, and yielded fruit a hundred fold. The poor 
man can have it as really as the rich ; yea, he that 
" hath no money " can receive it, and enjoy its pre- 
cious fruits '' without money and without price." 
It is all that many of the lowly have in this world 
of sin. True, it will flourish better in some places 
than in others. In like manner, the vine, while it 
will grow almost every where, will thrive better 
in some localities than in others. Religion has its 
12 



134 SYMBOLS OF CHRIST. 

congenial soil, and in that, of course, it will be most 
luxurious. There are scenes and circles where the 
gospel has little encouragement, and yet even there 
it can, and does at times, take deep root. It is des- 
tined to go forth as brightness " to earth's remotest 
bounds." This is a subject of prophecy and prom- 
ise. " It shall come to pass, that the mountain of 
the house of the Lord shall be established in the top 
of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the 
hills ; and people shall flow unto it." " The earth 
shall be filled with the knowledge and glory of the 
Lord, as the waters cover the sea." " He shall 
come down like rain upon the mown grass ; as show- 
ers that water the earth. In his days shall the 
righteous flourish. Yea, all kings shall fall down 
before him ; all nations shall serve him." 

The vine yields the most delicious and useful fruit 
in abundance. 

In this country we behold little of that thrift 
which belonged to the " choice vine " of the He- 
brews. • In the forty-ninth chapter of Genesis, 
Jacob speaks of a vine so farge that an ass could 
be securely tied to it. Paxton says, "In some 
parts of Persia it was formerly the custom to turn 
their cattle into the vineyards, after the vintage, to 
browse on the vines, some of which are so large 
that a man can hardly compass their trunks in his 



THE TRUE VINE. 135 

arms. From this it appears that, agreeably to the 
prediction of Jacob, the ass might be securely bound 
to the vine, without damaging the tree by browsing 
on its leaves and branches. The same custom ap- 
pears from the narratives of several travellers to 
have generally prevailed in the Lesser Asia." Says 
Schultz, " At Beidtdjin, a village near Ptolemais, we 
took our supper under a large vine, the stem of 
which was nearly a foot and a half in diameter, the 
height about thirty, and covered with its branches 
and shoots a hut more than fifty feet long and broad. 
The bunches of these grapes are so large that they 
weigh from ten to twelve pounds. Such a bunch is 
cut off and laid on a board, round which they seat 
themselves, and each helps himself to as many as he 
pleases." We are told of a much larger bunch of 
grapes in the thirteenth chapter of Numbers. It 
was cut off at Eshcol, and was so large that two 
men bore it between them " upon a staff " to the 
camp of Israel at Kadesh-barnea. We read that 
" the place was called the brook Eshcol, because of 
the cluster of grapes which the children of Israel 
cut down from thence." We are told that " a single 
vine, planted by the Empress Lavinia, yielded one 
hundred and eight gallons of wine in one year." 
Jacob drew a most beautiful fiorure from the fruit- 



136 SYMBOLS OP CHRIST. 

fulness of the yine, to express the future prosperity 
of Joseph, his son. " Joseph is a fruitful bough, even 
a fruitful bough by a well, whose branches run 
over the wall." There is an allusion here to the an- 
cient custom of building high walls around wells, 
over which the vine was trained. The Psalmist, 
also, in bewailing the declension of the church, pre- 
sents it under the figure of a vine that has lost its 
once remarkable luxuriousness. His words are very 
beautiful. " Thou hast brought a vine out of Egypt ; 
thou hast cast out the heathen and planted it. Thou 
preparedst room before it, and didst cause it to take 
deep root, and it filled the land. The hills are cov- 
ered with the shadow of it, and the boughs thereof 
were like the goodly cedars. She sent out her boughs 
unto the sea, and her branches unto the river. Why 
hast thou then broken down her hedges, so that all 
they which pass by the way do pluck her ? The boar 
out of the wood doth waste it, and the wild beast 
of the field doth devour it. Return, we beseech 
thee, God of hosts ; look down from heaven, and 
behold, and visit this vine. And the vineyard which 
thy right hand hath planted, and the branch that 
thou madest strong for thyself.'' 

The grape has always been regarded a great lux- 
ury, and it has been devoted to various useful pur- 



THE TRUE VINE. 137 

poses. Its juice has been used medicinally in all 
ages and climes. The good Samaritan, who found 
the wounded traveller by the roadside, between Je- 
rusalem and Jericho, poured oil and wine into his 
lacerated flesh. 

By allusion to such facts, we have presented the 
richness of those spiritual blessings which flow from 
Christ. " For it pleased the Father that in him 
should all fulness dwell." The spiritually hungry, 
who repair to him, never hunger any more, and the 
thirsty never thirst any more. " And Jesus said 
unto them, I am the bread of life ; he that cometh 
to me shall never hunger ; and he that believeth on 
me shall never thirst." His blessings are so full 
and free that every spiritual want is supplied, and 
the soul is satisfied. Every branch of this true 
vine is laden with clusters a thousand times richer 
than any others that have gladdened the heart of 
man. How sweet to the taste ! Yea, " sweeter than 
honey and the honeycomb." What " delicious fare " 
millions have had under its ample boughs ! Else- 
where they have found only the " clusters of Go- 
morrah," from which the soul turns away unsatisfied. 
But here the largest desire is gratified, and the heart 
says " enough " to the vast resources of grace and 
strength. To the Christian the Saviour is " all in all." 
12^ 



138 SYMBOLS OF CHKIST. 

There are blessings here for himself, his family, his 
neighbors — all. Call together the whole race of 
mankind to make known their wants, not one shall 
go away empty, except by his own choice. 

Introduce the gospel into the most godless com- 
munity, and there let it have free course, and what 
a change is speedily wrought ! The people are 
blessed in their personal, domestic, social, moral, and 
religious interests. No other boon blesses them so 
largely or lastingly. The rich, ample clusters of 
Eshcol are but a poor symbol of the blessings that 
flow to man through Jesus Christ. 

And then what virtue in this true vine for the sin- 
sick soul I " The blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth 
us from all sin." " Thou wast slain, and hast re- 
deemed us to God by thy blood out of every kin- 
dred, and tongue, and people, and nation.'' The 
fruit of the vine is a very appropriate symbol of 
the blood that was " shed for the remission of sins.'' 
In Genesis xlix. 11, the inspired writer calls the 
juice of the grape "blood." This, in connection 
with the symbolical use of the vine itself, points sig- 
nificantly to the blood that was shed upon the cross. 
Here thousands have been healed of their moral 
maladies, and now sit, restored, at the feet of Jesus. 
A new song has been put into their mouths, even 



THE TRUE VINE. 139 

praise to God. Glad hearts tliey have, and bright 
hopes for the future, because they have tasted of 
the fruit of the true Vine. They break forth into 



" Bound hand and foot with chains of sin, 
Death dragged me for his prey ; 
The pit was moved to take me in, 
And hope was far away. 

" I cried in agony of mind, 

' Lord, I beseech thee, save ; ' 
He heard me ; Death his prey resigned, 
And Mercy shut the grave. 

" What shall I render unto thee. 
My Saviour, in distress, 
For all thy benefits to me. 
So great and numberless ? 

" Henceforth myself to thee I give. 
With single heart and eye. 
To walk before thee while I live. 
And bless thee when I die." 

The vine is an emblem of delight and peace. 

One of the most beautiful scenes in Oriental coun- 
tries is a rural residence shaded by luxuriant vines 
from the burning heat of the sun. Such protection 
in extremely hot countries is almost indispensable. 



140 SYMBOLS OF CHRIST. 

Frequently the yard is furnished with trees, such as 
the fig and pomegranate ; and these are completely 
covered with the vine, so that the whole yard and 
dwelling repose under a most delightful shade. Often 
an arbor is formed by planting fig trees, over which 
the vine is trained, and under its cooling shade whole 
families sit in sultry weather. The prophet alludes 
to this custom in those prophetic words, " They shall 
sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree, 
and none shall make them afraid." There could 
not be a finer picture of domestic pleasure and peace 
than that of a family sitting beneath such a grateful 
shade in a land where the noonday sun often " smites " 
the wayfarer so that he dies. Hence the prophet 
makes use of the scene as a foreshadowing of that 
blissful period when the gospel shall have won its 
most signal triumphs, and there shall be none to 
hurt or destroy in God's holy mountain. Then the 
True Vine will have spread over hill and valley, 
and the nations will be at peace under its fruitful 
branches. In this regard the vine becomes a suita- 
ble emblem of Christ ; for he is spoken of as a 
shadow for the joy and protection of his people. 
Thus Isaiah said of the foretold Messiah, he " shall 
be as a hiding-place from the wind and a covert 
from the tempest ; as rivers of water in a dry place, 



THE TRUE VINE. 141 

as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land." 
The Psalmist, also, in view of unnumbered divine 
mercies, exclaimed, " Because thou hast been my 
help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I re- 
joice.'' And again, " He that dwelleth in the secret 
place shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty." 
From the great number of times that the inspired 
writers have employed this figure we might suppose 
it was a favorite one with them. It is certainly well 
suited to express the delight and comfort that is 
found in him.. " The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, 
peace." Christ came to bring " glad tidings of 
great joy," and to fill those that trust in him with 
" peace that passeth understanding." " Peace I 
leave with you, my peace I give you." How many 
living witnesses are testifying that their peace is 
*' like a river," and that their " joy is full " ! 

The vintage has always been regarded a season 
of joy. Long before it arrives it is the subject of 
remark and much preparation. Young and old look 
forward to it with high anticipations. When it ac- 
tually comes, joy and gladness seem literally to fill 
the dwellings. The most pleasing associations are 
connected with the season to the grape gatherers ; 
and besides, it brings them so great a revenue, as 
the harvest of their toils, that they rejoice in its 



142 SYMBOLS OF CHRIST. 

return. So the coming of Him who trod the " wine- 
press " of the wrath of God alone was, and is, if 
properly regarded, a cause for " exceeding joy." 
The day of Christ's death was the best day for this 
dying world that could possibly occur. It brought 
to the door of every dwelling, and every heart, what 
is infinitely better than silver and gold. It achieved 
for them what conquerors cannot win. It brought 
them a Saviour, without whom there is no forgiveness, 
and no escape from the wrath of God. 

One of the prophets makes use of the following 
language, which deserves a brief notice in this con- 
nection : " I will allure her, and bring her into the 
wilderness, and speak comfortably unto her ; and I 
will give her her vineyards from thence." Here is 
an allusion to the fact that deserts are dotted with 
green spots, or oases, where the vine will thrive lux- 
uriantly. As even the desert will thuS' yield the 
fruit of the vine, so will the true Vine flourish in 
this world of sin and woe, which is aptly styled a 
moral wilderness. Where there is least promise, 
fruit shall yet abound. " The wilderness and the 
solitary place shall be glad for them ; and the des- 
ert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose." 

The union of Christ and his followers is symbol- 
ized by the vine and its branches. 



THE TRUE VINE. 143 

This was probably the principal idea that Christ 
intended to communicate. " I*am the true vine, and 
my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me 
that beareth not fruit he taketh away ; and every 
branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may 
bring forth more fruit." " Abide in me, and I in 
you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself ex- 
cept it abide in the vine, no more can ye, except ye 
abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches ; 
he that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bring- 
eth forth much fruit ; for without me ye can do 
nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth 
as a branch, and is withered ; and men gather them 
and cast them into the fire, and they are burned." 

The import of these words is obvious. The rela 
lion subsisting between Christ and his people is in 
timate as the connection of the vine and its branches 
When Christ calls himself the Shepherd, his chil 
dren are his sheep. When he is denominated the 
Head of the church, his children are members. So 
here, when he calls himself the true Yine, his chil- 
dren are branches. The idea is emphatically that 
of union. 

The branches are the same kind of wood as the 
vino, and are nourished by the same fluids. So true 
Christians are the same as Christ in the spirit and 



144 SYMBOLS OF CHRIST. 

temper of their minds, and derive their nutrimerxt 
from the same spiritual sources. The same mind is 
in them that was in Christ Jesus. By this the 
world takes knowledge of them that they have been 
with Jesus. 

The branches derive all their comeliness from the 
vine ; and indeed they add comeliness to it. So Chris- 
tians are adorned with the beauty of holiness only so 
far as they are clothed with the righteousness of Christ. 
They have no moral attractions of their own, inde- 
pendent of Christ. All their graces, too, contribute 
in return to the moral beauties of their Saviour. 
The world sees more in him to admire when his fol- 
lowers are holy. They are so generally regarded 
as the " branches," that religion is honored or dis- 
graced, in the view of men, according as they are 
faithful or otherwise. 

The branches also draw their strength from the 
vine. The branches do not support the vine, but 
the vine supports the branches. The former are en- 
tirely dependent upon the latter. And is not Christ 
the source of the Christian's strength ? Can he 
bear fruit, yea, can he live spiritually, without the 
grace of the Redeemer ? " As the branch cannot 
bear fruit of itself except it abide in the vine, no 
more can ye, except ye abide in me." " Without 



THE TRUE VINE. 145 

me ye can do nothing." Weak and worthless is the 
believer without the aid of his divine Master 1 

Says Barnes, upon this figure, "A vine yields 
proper juice and nourishment to all the branches, 
whether these be large or small. All the nourish- 
ment of each branch and tendril passes through the 
main stalk, or the vine, that springs from the earth. 
So Jesus is the source of all real strength and grace 
to all his disciples. * * He sustains the same re- 
lation to his disciples that a parent stalk does to the 
branches. * ^ We become united to him in all 
our interests, and have common feelings, common 
desires, and a common destiny with him. We seek 
the same objects ; are v/illing to encounter the same 
trials, contempt, persecution, and want ; and are de- 
sirous that his God shall be ours, and his eternal 
abode ours. It is a union of friendship, of love, 
and of dependence ; a union of weakness with 
strength ; of imperfection with perfection ; of a dy- 
ing nature with a living Saviour ; of a lost sinner 
with an unchanging Friend and Redeemer. It is 
the most tender and intimate of all relations." 

It frequently happens that an individual is the 

cole dependence of an enterprise, and even of a 

sommunity. Upon his words, actions, or influence 

every thing is suspended. All feel intensely when 

13 



146 SYMBOLS OP CHRIST. 

his life is in jeopardy, and rejoice equally when he 
walks unharmed. The faithful ruler is an example 
of this kind. Let the destroyer lay him low, and 
his kingdom feels the shock from centre to circum- 
ference. The same is true of the commander on 
the field of conflict. His fall sends consternation 
through the ranks of the army, and often renders 
defeat certain. And in the family, what interests 
depend upon its united head ! That head is the 
very life of the household. Let death remove it^ 
and all its interests are scattered. And yet, these 
are not examples of absolute dependence. Govern- 
ments have withstood the fall of the ruler, armies 
have survived the death of the commander, and 
families have existed after their heads were no more. 
But no Christian ever did, or can, withstand the 
absence of Christ. No church can maintain more 
than the form of godliness, without preserving this 
intimate union with the divine Head. Every thing 
hoped for and prayed for in the church must come 
through him. Christ said, " Because I live, ye shall 
live also." 

To this intimate union reference is made in the 
Scripture in all those passages where expressions of 
kindness or contempt towards Christ's followers are 
represented as being made to Christ himself, " In- 



THE TRUE VINE. 147 

asmucli as ye have done it unto one of the least of 
these my brethren, ye have done it unto me." When 
Saul was on his way to Damascus to persecute the 
saints, the Lord addressed him thus : " Saul, Saul, 
why persecutest thou me ? " And so in every in- 
stance where this subject is remarked upon in the 
Scriptures, what is done to the church is said to be 
done to Christ. This is a marked way of express- 
ing the union of the church with its head. No union 
could be more intimate and endearing. Saints abide 
in Christ, and they in him. " I am the vine ; ye 
are the branches." 

Here we have a view of the nature of that union 
that will characterize the earth when it is filled with 
millennial peace. Heart-union with Christ will be 
the source and assurance of that reign of joy. It is 
one of the fruits that true sympathy with Christ 
produces. Heart feels with heart. Love responds 
to love. A. type of its blessed character is had in 
a custom that prevails among the shepherds upon 
the mountains of Switzerland. " When the last 
rays of the sun gild the summit of the Alps, the 
shepherd who dwells the highest on the mountain 
takes his horn, which is like a speaking trumpet, and 
is used to convey sounds to a great distance, and 
calls aloud, * Praised be the Lord.' As soon as he 



148 SYMBOLS OF CHRIST. 

is heard, the neighboring shepherds leave their huts, 
and repeat the words. The sound lasts many min- 
utes, for every echo of the mountains, and grotto 
of the rocks, repeats the name of God." In like 
manner, this bond of Christian sympathy with Christ 
will be the pledge of that glorious season, w^hen 

" The dwellers in the vales and on the rocks 
Shout to each other, and the mountain tops 
From distant mountains catch the flying joy, 
Till, nation after nation taught the strain, 
Earth rolls the rapturous hosanna round." 

" I am the true vine ! " Other vines will drop 
their freshness and perish ; but this is always green. 
Others bear only a single "manner of fruit ; " but 
this yields " twelve." Others yield a fruit which, 
taken immoderately, injures the partaker ; but the 
more we receive of this the more we are blest. 
Others provide only for the body and time ; but 
this for the soul and eternity. Hence it is the 
TRUE vine. 

Christian ! every attempt to be holy without 
Christ is worse than vain. The branch cannot bear 
fruit except it abide in the vine. It cannot say to 
the vine, " I have no need of thee ; " neither can the 
vine say to it, " I have no need of you." Though 
vou are one of the " smallest and lowest branches 



THE TRUE VINE. 149 

of the true vine," your life as really depends upon 
Christ, and is as essential to the beauty and excel- 
lency of the whole, as that of the more prominent 
believer. Fail not to recognize and seek for this 
hearty union of love and sympathy with your wel- 
come Saviour. In the great day of account let it 
appear that you did abide in Christ, and he in you. 
13* 



VII. 

THE GREAT TEACHER. 

" Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God." 

Our Master, Jesus, went to preach 

The gospel every where. 
And by his own example teach 

How we the cross should bear. 

Our Master, Jesus, crucified 

By hands of Avicked men, 
Prayed for his murderers ; then he died; 

He died, but rose again. 

Our Master, Jesus, suffered this, 

The world from hell to save, 
And bring to heaven's amazing bliss 

The freeman and the slave. 

Montgomery. 

A TEACHER fills an office of the highest impor- 
tance to society. Though his instructions pertain 
mainly to intellectual culture, yet he performs no 
inferior work for his fellow-men. He labors upon 
the foundations of the social organism. He handles 
some of the " first things " in human progress. What 

(150) 



THE GREAT TEACHER. 151 

he does often decides character and destiny. Fidel- 
ity on liis part brings forth fruit "a hundred fold" 
to the " body politic." It is quite impossible to 
estimate the influence of a faithful teacher. It is 
experienced in the family, in the social circle, and 
in the public sphere. Every where it is beheld in 
the developments of mental powers for the duties 
of life. 

But when with the intellectual we connect moral 
and religious instruction, the teacher's office is essen- 
tially magnified ; for then he deals with everlasting 
principles. He touches the most vital point of 
man's nature. He moves the springs of human con- 
duct just where they act upon the soul's eternal 
welfare. By the grace of God he lifts that soul 
from moral degradation to sympathize and commune 
with the Saviour of men. He drops seed that will 
spring up into everlasting life. He awakens aspira- 
tions that neither time nor death can quench. When 
works of art have crumbled to the dust, his work 
upon the immortal spirit remains imperishable. 

If the ofl&ce of the mere human instructor is of 
such importance, then Christ is properly called the 
Great Teacher. Nicodemus designed to honor him 
by speaking of him as such. He had heard of his 
wonderful instructions, differing so widely from 



152 SYllBOLS OV CHIUST. 

those of other teacliers, and he desired to listen to 
his words for himself. He therefore approached 
him with the reverent address, *' Rabbi, we know 
that thou art a teacher come from God." The terra 
"Rabbi" literally signifies great; so that the ad- 
dress was, really, no more nor less than Great 
Teacher. That Christ is appropriately called by 
this appellation is evident not only from his qualifi- 
cations, but also from the frequent allusions to this 
ofifice in the Scriptures. He is said "to teach them" 
whatever he communicated concerning the plan of 
life. The " Acts of the Apostles " opens by pro- 
nouncing the previous record of the Saviour's life a 
" treatise of all that Jesus began both to do and 
teach, until the day in which he was taken up, after 
that he through the Holy Ghost had given com- 
mandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen." 
It is not necessary, however, to cite references upon 
this point. Christ is so frequently spoken of by 
the sacred writers as Teacher, that he is familiar to 
all in this office. His qualifications invite our atten- 
tion. By considering the characteristics of an 
earthly instructor, we shall be able to exalt the 
Saviour more highly in this relation to mankind. 

A good teacher has a good character. 

It is true that a corrupt man may possess marked 



THE GREAT TEACHER. 153 

tact in tliis pursuit ; still lie is not called, popularly, 
a good instructor. Parents and guardians are un- 
■willing to commit children to his care. They under- 
stand full well that he has the power to corrupt 
their hearts by a pernicious example. They trem- 
ble at the thought of intrusting an immortal being 
to the charge of one who trifles with the truths of 
God. Perhaps there is no individual doing public 
service whom we more earnestly demand to be 
moral and upright than the teacher of the young. 
Even the suspicion of immorality would destroy our 
confidence in him, however successful he might be 
in developing youthful minds. The public demand 
an unblemished character in this office, and no men- 
tal qualifications can atone for its absence. 

The influence of a pure or impure example is 
continually streaming from every living character, 
and especially if they occupy important posts. It 
is a remarkable fact that pupils imitate teachers, 
who command their confidence, well nigh as per- 
fectly as they do their parents. They are eagle- 
eyed, also, to discover defects. The most trifling 
departures from dignity and uprightness are ob- 
served by them, and commented upon with childlike 
familiarity. Hence the importance and value of a 
spotless character for them to scrutinize. 



154 SYMBOLS OF CHRIST. 

Now turn to Christ. He came to teach the high- 
est morality and purest religion ever inculcated. 
Before his, all other codes of morals and all other 
religious systems fade away. In comparison with 
his they are corrupt and worthless. Should not his 
character be proportionably excellent? Should not 
a higher degree of purity characterize his example ? 
Thousands watched with eager eye to discover some 
blemish, that they might wield it against the gospel 
which he proclaimed. Scribes and Pharisees studied 
•closely to find some secret, selfish principle of action, 
in order to silence his tongue, and destroy the power 
of his religion. Could the Jews have found a single 
doubtful act in all his career, they would have as- 
sailed him with ten times the ferocity that they did 
exhibit ; and his kingdom would have received a 
shock from which it might never have recovered. 
In such circumstances a " character without spot or 
blemish " was indispensable. 

Christ is truly " the chiefest among ten thou- 
sand, and altogether lovely " in his character. 
Language is too tame to express the purity of his 
life. The inspiration of the Holy Ghost is neces- 
sary to exhibit faithfully his transcendent virtues. 
Collect all the objects that are emblematical of 
purity and worth in the material world, and they 



THE GREAT TEACHER. 155 

are inadequate to set forth the perfection of one 
whose spirit was never tainted by sin. The alabas- 
ter white of the lily, the blended hues of the rose, 
the serene brightness of a star, the clear, dazzling 
light of the sun, the pure lustre of gold and gems, 
and the taintless beauty of pearls and diamonds, 
are poor emblems of the Saviour's goodness. On 
all these material things there are the traces of im- 
perfection ; but there is not a speck upon his heav- 
enly character. The dewdrop and sunbeam are less 
pure than was his sinless heart. " He lived for 
years, and was actively employed in a world in 
which every condition has its peculiar temptations, 
so that, of all the myriads who have ever inhabited 
it, not one has escaped the pollution of sin. But, 
like the sunbeam, which remains uncontaminated, 
whatever the object on which it may shine, the 
Saviour emerged from this region of guilt, and reen- 
tered the portals of heaven as pure and unspotted 
as when he left the bosom of the Father." 

Aptness to teach distinguishes a good instructor. 

Learning alone does not qualify a person for this 
office. The choicest fund of knowledge may be 
possessed by a very incompetent teacher. He must 
have tact in his pursuit, or his efforts are compara- 
tively vain. By this we mean that quality which 



156 SYMBOLS OP CHRIST* 

was so conspicuous even in the boyhood of New* 
ton, when he distinguished himself by constructing 
models of machinery, and by the solution of diffi- 
cult problems. The same thing, also, was manifest 
in Galileo, when, at an early age, he exhibited that 
remarkable ability which contributed to his emi- 
nence in meridian life. Nor is it true alone of this 
class of persons ; it distinguishes all who have 
attained to any distinction in their different callings. 

The successful instructor is not lacking here. By 
the possession of this ability he can render quite 
ordinary attainments serviceable. He accomplishes 
more than many who are far more intelligent. It 
is said that the great philosopher Montaigne, with 
all his learning, was not able to make his knowledge 
available for the practical purposes of life. He 
could study philosophy with success, but he could 
not teach. 

One person is naturally more communicative than 
another. He can express himself freely upon all 
subjects with which he is familiar. He is able to 
command all the knowledge which he has stored up, 
and this makes him eminently practical. This dif- 
ference is seen among teachers. The best have the 
most tact at illustrating and explaining the lessons 
inculcated. They cause them to appear simple, 



THE GREAT TEACHER. 157 

clear, attractive. They draw their illustrations 
from familiar scenes and objects, so as to adapt 
them to the capacities of the taught. In this con- 
sists their aptness to teach. 

How marked was this qualification in Christ! 
One of the striking beauties of his instructions, as 
contained in the New Testament, is the simplicity 
and adaptedness of his illustrations. His charming 
parables exhibit his aptness to communicate moral 
lessons. He drew his figures generally from com- 
mon affairs and external nature, with which his 
hearers were more familiar. In this respect he 
differed from many of the wise and learned. The 
philosopher is disposed to find his similitudes in 
science ; and the same is true of gifted men in 
other branches of human lore. But Christ adopted 
another and better plan. When he addressed a 
multitude upon the sea shore, he derived a lively 
image from the use of the " net," which " was cast 
into the sea, and gathered of every kind." At 
another time he availed himself of their familiarity 
with husbandry to exhibit the progress of truth ; 
and he pointed them to the " sower," who scatters 
the seed upon his cultivated fields. Again, to illus- 
trate the growth of piety in the soul, he called their 
attention ^to the "mustard seed," which was "the 
14 



158 SYMBOLS OF CHRIST. 

least of all seeds," but whose branches furnished 
lodgings, at length, for " the birds of the air." 
Again, he directed them to behold the " barren fig 
tree," as a fit emblem of the worthless professor of 
religion. There might have been one of those fruit- 
less trees near by, which suggested the figure to him 
at the time, and the eyes of every listener might 
have been directed to it. In such a case, we can 
easily see that the impression must have been deep- 
ened. He also taught them to appreciate the de- 
light of God in the salvation of man, by portraying 
the joy of a shepherd over the " lost sheep " that is 
found. They had seen the shepherd leave his entire 
flock to search for the one " that had gone astray," 
and knew that he rejoiced " more of that sheep than 
of the ninety and nine that went not astray," so that 
they could not fail to perceive the moral truth 
which he would thereby communicate. 

In like manner he employed familiar incidents 
and narratives to invest particular truths with 
beauty and power. There is the touching story of 
the " prodigal son," in which the compassionate in- 
terest of God in the repenting sinner is presented 
with singular force. There is the record of the 
" good Samaritan," whose compassion for a mangled, 
bleeding sufferer illustrates the nature of Christ- 



THE GREAT TEACHEE. 159 

like charity. And there is, also, the " great supper/' 
through which he communicated to his hearers in- 
formation relative to the banquet of love which the 
ransomed will enjoy in heaven. 

Thus Christ employed the most familiar objects 
and scenes as mediums of successful instruction. 
The lily, the blade of grass, the corn, the wheat, the 
tree, the journey, the feast, the tower, and many 
other things furnished him with apt comparisons. 
In this way he adapted his lessons to the capacities = 
of the learners, while, at the same time, he invested 
them with a peculiar charm. Clearness, chasteness, 
simplicity, and purity are among the distinguishing 
qualities of his counsels. 

Moreover, Christ possessed one qualification, as 
the Great Teacher, which imparted an aptness to 
his lessons far beyond that of the best earthly in- 
structor. He understood perfectly the philosophy of the 
mind. The more familiar a teacher is with the 
nature of mind, and the means of awakening its 
dormant energies, the more successful he will be. 
The most accomplished, however, can possess only a 
limited knowledge of this kind. But the Saviour's 
knowledge upon this subject was perfect, so that his 
example may be followed to advantage in both sec- 
ular and religious instruction. He saw clearly just 



160 SYMBOLS OF CHRIST. 

what light the understanding needed, and what im- 
pressions the heart required. This penetrating view 
of mental and moral action in man rendered his 
method of teaching infallible. 

We see here the distinction between knowledge 
and wisdom. Knowledge implies an acquaintance 
with facts, and wisdom a right use of them. Hence 
a very unwise person may possess much knowledge, 
and vice versa. The man who understands that 
industry is the parent of thrift, and indolence the 
precursor of poverty, is a wise man, if he act accord- 
ingly. But if he does not use this knowledge to his 
advantage, he is the opposite. So, also, he who un- 
derstands the nature of sin, and believes that " the 
soul that sinneth it shall die," while he continues to 
transgress the divine law, is not wise. The Scrip- 
tures pronounce him " foolish " and " mad." This 
distinction between knowledge and wisdom is no- 
where seen more clearly than among instructors, and 
it is inseparable from a correct idea of aptness to 
teach. In this regard the Great Teacher was emi- 
nently wise. 

A good teacher is thorough. 

This quality is indispensable to success in this 
pursuit. It consists in the effort, not only to render 
lessons intelligible, but also to cause the learner to 



THE GREAT TEACHER. 16l 

master them. It requires great patience anri perse- 
verance to distinguish one's self for this thorough- 
ness. Multitudes may weary in their attempts to 
drill dull intellects in the whys and wherefores of 
their studies. It is the same thing over and over, 
day after day and week after week. Simply listen- 
ing to recitations is comparatively easy. A parrot 
may be taught to recite a lesson, and a stupid man 
can hear it. It is one thing to repeat instruction, 
and quite another to understand it. The faithful 
teacher knows this full well, and aims to make his 
pupils thoroughly acquainted with the subjects which 
engage their attention. "A little, well understood, 
is better than much merely committed to memory." 
"Whatever is worth doing at all is worth doing 
well." These are among his maxims in daily 
practice. 

Christ was thorough beyond all others. His mot- 
to was, " Precept upon precept ; line upon line ; here 
a little and there a little." In our previous refer- 
ence to the character of his illustrations, this fact is 
clearly seen. He not only presented instruction in 
a lucid and simple manner, but he presented the 
same truths in all their different phases. He showed 
their bearings in a variety of ways. For instance, 
the parables of the " Tares " and the " Draw Net " 
14* 



162 SYMBOLS OF CHEIST. 

teach essentially tlie same truth. The Saviour 
might have uttered these in different circumstances. 
At one time he might have been addressing husband- 
men, and at the other, fishermen ; and these different 
illustrations were thus required to impress the same 
truth upon the two classes. Or he might have ad- 
dressed the same individuals, once by the sea-side, 
and again in the open field, teaching the same lesson 
in these different ways, in order to adapt it to their 
circumstances and wants. Be that as it may, it is 
very evident that Christ aimed at variety in his 
teachings, that he might be understood. If necessary 
he enforced his teachings with a degree of severity, 
that the sinner might escape to the eternal refuge. 
He sought, also, to have " the man of God thoroughly 
furnished unto all good works." 

A good teacher is kind. 

By this we mean that he is characterized by that 
gentleness of spirit, and general good will, towards 
his pupils, without which he will fail. A fiery tem- 
per may unfit an otherwise competent individual for 
this important office. Kashness has no legitimate 
place in the school room. It will render null and 
void the wisest plans and the best endeavors. True, 
firmness is indispensable there ; but this differs ma- 
terially from impetuosity and hasty correction. 



THE GREAT TEACHER. 163 

Firmness is rather signalized by deliberation, and 
calm, persevering earnestness. It may liarmonizo 
perfectly with mildness. It is possible to be severely 
just and signally kind at the same time. This is 
true of God. The most unyielding justice and the 
most impressive kindness characterize his govern- 
ment. 

The successful teacher is firm and mild. He con- 
ciliates his pupils by his kindness, and controls them 
by his firmness. The least expression of unkindness, 
on his part, breaks his authority. He may still hold 
his pupils in subjection, but it is servile obedience, 
such as fear begets. Men are almost as earnest in 
demanding that a teacher be kind, as they are in re- 
quiring that he be moral. Without it his heartiest 
efforts prove abortive. 

We need scarcely say that the Saviour was kind. 
There is abundant proof of this in the ver}^ name by 
which he is called — Saviour. Would he have un- 
dertaken to fill this office unless this had been a 
prominent element of his character ? Well may we 



" Yes, the Redeemer left his throne, 
His radiant throne on high, — 
Surpassing mercy ! love unknown ! 
To sufi'er, bleed, and die." 



164 SYMBOLS OF CHRIST. 

He was not kind to a fault. He was never led 
through this attribute to compromise justice. Sin 
received no favor from him in consequence. He 
showed, in his treatment of the self-righteous Phari- 
sees, and of the money-changers desecrating the 
temple, that he could practise severity when occa- 
sion required. But his nature was the embodiment 
of all that is gentle and lovely. When the prophets 
foretold his advent, they spoke of him in language 
like the following : " A bruised reed shall he not 
break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench ; he 
shall bring forth judgment unto truth." " He shall 
feed his flock like a shepherd ; he shall gather 
the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bo- 
som, and shall gently lead those that are with 
young." " He shall come down like rain upon the 
mown grass ; as showers that water the earth. He 
shall spare the poor and needy, and shall save the 
souls of the needy." Such was the character as- 
cribed to him by men filled with the Holy Ghost, 
ages before he came in the flesh. 

His emblem in the Scriptures is the most innocent 
of living creatures — the Lamb. Nothing could 
more aptly express the gentleness and meekness of 
the Redeemer than this chosen emblem. The men- 
tion of it awakens in the heart a class of the most 



•THE GREAT TEACHER. 165 

deliglitful emotions. It appeals to the higliest and 
tenderest part of our natures. 

We look in vain through the whole career of 
Christ for any of those bitter feelings which mar 
human nature. There is not the slightest trace of 
censoriousness or fault- finding in all his intercourse 
with men. There was nothing of reserve or cold- 
ness — those cheerless qualities, which ever attend 
a lack of kindness. His deeds of mercy proceeded 
from a deep fountain of unfeigned love in his soul. 
They were but the outward symbols of an inner 
well-spring of goodness. With a heartiness that 
was never equalled, he made his offers of life even 
to his foes. And now, with what tender forbear- 
ance he treats us ! With what long suffering he 
endures our ingratitude and neglect! How long 
his patience continues when his best lessons appear 
to be lost upon us ! No earthly teacher ever bore 
with a thankless learner as he bears with his erring 
children. Mercy upon mercy, gift upon gift, from 
his gracious hand, while we forget the Giver ! 
" Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord 
pitieth them that fear him. For he knoweth our 
frame ; he remembereth that we are dust." He 
" will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that 
serveth him." Such a kind, gentle, winning nature, 



166 SYMBOLS OF CHRIST. 

who can fail to love ? Whither shall we go to dis- 
cover another to liken unto it ? 

" Were the whole realm of nature mine, 
That were a present far too small ; 
Love so amazing, so divine, 

Demands my soul, my life, my all." 

A good teacher is devoted to his work. 

He pursues his avocation with singleness of pur- 
pose. His heart is in it, and therefore it is not a 
task or hardship to teach. He aims to benefit his 
pupils, rather than to find a pleasurable calling. It 
is not with him a mere work for self-aggrandizement 
or gain. A higher, nobler aim animates his soul. 
Here is the secret of his devotion to his pursuit. 
His enthusiasm is begotten at this point. His 
thoughts are not occupied with other schemes, as if 
his present employment were undertaken because he 
had nothing else to do. His whole soul is enlisted 
in the work, as the loved, chosen occupation of his 
heart. 

There are numerous examples of the devotion of 
teachers on record — males and females — who have 
literally worn themselves out in this good service. 
With a zeal that puts to blush much of the heart- 
less toil in the callings of life, they have pursued 



THE GREAT TEACHER. 167 

this work in the midst of discouraging trials and 
difficulties. " Yerily they have their reward." 

But can the devotion of the Great Teacher be 
surpassed? From the commencement to the close 
of his public life, where is the least evidence that 
his thoughts roved to other pursuits? Where the 
evidence that his interest in his chosen work dimin- 
ished for a single moment? From what act of his 
do we learn that the high and holy purpose that, 
subjected him to " the form of a servant " faltered 
in the execution ? These inquiries suggest the de- 
votion that marked his public career. He became 
a martyr to his deep, unquenchable interest in his 
mediatorial office. The responsibility of disciplin- 
ing immortal minds for glory was devolved upon 
him, and he felt it. He groaned and travailed in 
spirit to accomplish the design of his mission. He 
would behold every one of those minds a polished 
gem in the crown of life. With privations, suffer- 
ings, and death, he sought to develop them for the 
skies. The tongue of calumny did not dishearten 
him. The rebellion of learners did not damp his 
ardor. The alienated affections of once ardent 
friends did not blight his hopes. In a word, noth- 
ing that he experienced in the school of life abated 
one jot or tittle of the ardor with which he " taught 
the people knowledge." 



168 SYMBOLS OP CHRIST. 

A good teacher educates bis pupils with reference 
to the responsible spheres which they may occupy 
in future life. 

When the elder President Adams was engaged in 
teaching youth in the city of Worcester, one hun- 
dred years ago the present year, he said that " it 
awakened in his heart peculiar interest to regard 
his school as the world in miniature ; that before 
him were the land's future legislators, divines, gov- 
ernors, and presidents. He had only to imagine 
that one was destined to become a merchant, another 
a mechanic, another a legislator, another a ruler, 
and thus on, to stimulate him to the most earnest 
endeavors." 

This fact indicates what we mean by educating 
the young for future duties. They are to move in 
different spheres. Some of them will occupy places 
of distinction, and exert commanding influence for 
good or evil. They will control the offices and 
business of the secular world. In politics, in edu- 
cation, in religion, they will take the lead. They, 
also, will constitute the heads of families, around 
whom the purest affections and brightest hopes may 
cluster. In these and other relations they will 
leave the impress of their intelligence and virtue, or 
of their ignorance and vice. 



THE GREAT TEACHER. 169 

The faithful teacher does not lose sight of this 
Important view of the youn^ before him. He is 
more or less mindful of the fact that education is 
required not so much for the present as for the 
future ; that its principal design is to prepare the 
learner to meet higher responsibilities. The thought 
is calculated to incite him to more self-sacrificing 
exertions. 

In this particular Christ was indeed the Teacher 
of teachers. In his view, importance was attached 
to man only so far as his immortality is concerned. 
He looked upon every mortal as advancing to a 
fixed and endless state of existence. As youth is 
the preparatory season for the duties of manhood, 
so he regarded the whole period of life as a prep- 
aration for eternity. All of its experiences were 
related, as he thought, to the soul's everlasting state. 
Hence all his instructions were directed to this one 
important consideration. The burden of his coun- 
sels were suited to lift the thoughts and hearts of 
men to eternal realities. He saw within the bosom 
of the meanest mortal a soul that will exist when 
the light of the sun is quenched. Filth and rags 
did not hide from his view the lustre of a jewel 
that God made to contribute to the splendors of 
heaven. Therefore it was that he taught for the 
15 



.170 SYMBOLS OP CHRIST. "^ 

future. He would have his pupils become " kings 
and priests unto God," and sit on thrones of power 
and glory, where sin does not reign. He would 
elevate them to the highest place of honor and hap- 
piness for which a benevolent Creator made them. 
This one thought determined the nature of his les- 
sons and the degree of his interest. 

The Great Teacher deserves tractable pupils. 
They should be as willing and anxious to receive 
instruction as he is to impart it. They should learn 
as readily as he communicates. To enjoy the tuition 
of one so wise and good as Christ creates corre- 
sponding obligations. His clear, impressive coun- 
sels cannot be innocently disregarded. Their mis- 
improvement will be followed by commensurate 
condemnation. In the day of approaching retribu- 
tion it will be found that the careless pupils of the 
Great Teacher merit the threatened punishment of 
his broken la>f . 



VIII. 

THE SOUL'S PHYSICIAN. 

** I am the Lord that healeth thee." 

How lost was my condition, 

Till Jesus made me whole ! 
There is but one physician 

Can cure a sin-sick soul ! 
The worst of all diseases 

Is light compared with sin ; 
On every part it seizes, 

But rages most within. Newton. 

The Scriptures speak of sin as a moral malady, 
and of Christ as the Great Physiciaa. After Jesus 
called Matthew from the receipt of custom, and 
" sat at meat in the house " with publicans and sin- 
ners, he replied to the fault-finding Pharisees, " They 
that be whole need not a physician, but they that 
are sick." Here he evidently designed to teach 
that the soul is sin-sick, and that he himself came 
to effect a cure. As a physician is not needed 
among the healthful, so Christ would not be needed 
if mankind were righteous. It was a cutting rebuke 

(171) 



172 SYMBOLS OF CHRIST. 

to the self-righteous Pharisees, who considered them- 
selves morally " whole ; " and they must have been 
impressed with the benevolent design of their re- 
prover's mission. We refer to the incident simply 
to exhibit the view which Christ had of our moral 
condition and of his own office. 

The Bible contains a faithful as well as fearful 
diagnosis of this moral disease of the soul. " The 
whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint. From 
the sole of the foot even unto the head, there is no 
soundness in it, but wounds, and bruises, and putre- 
fying sores. They have not been closed, neither 
bound up, neither mollified with ointment.'' The 
most loathsome and revolting spectacle on earth, in 
the form of disease, is thus selected as a symbol of 
this soul-malady. In other passages it is spoken of 
as blinding the.mind, darkening the understanding, 
perverting the will, searing the conscience, corrupt- 
ing the heart, and destroying the soul. All possible 
derangement of the moral powers is thus ascribed to 
sin. We cannot conceive of a more hopeless case 
in the sight of God, morally, than that of the dying 
sinner. Point to the emaciated, suffering victim of 
fever or consumption, in daily expectation of expe- 
riencing the " mortal agony," and passing into the 
eternal world; and the eye beholds nothing more 



THE SOUL^S PHYSICIAN. 173 

than a power that can destroy the body, without 
injuring the soul. Within that wasted and shat- 
tered form a healthful spirit may be rejoicing in 
hope of glory. The keen shafts of pain, and the 
arrows of the " last enemy," hurt not that living 
soul. It is safe when its fleshly tabernacle falls and 
crumbles under the power of inexorable death. But 
how different when the soul itself is diseased I 
Could our eyes be opened to behold its moral cor- 
ruption and its torment, we should exclaim with the 
sacred writer, " Fear not them which kill the body, 
but are not able to kill the soul ; but rather fear Him 
which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell." 
Does disease waste physical beauty ? In like man- 
ner sin destroys the moral beauty of the soul. Does 
the former paralyze the physical powers, so that they 
refuse to perform their offices ? It is equally true 
that the latter palsies the moral faculties, and inter- 
rupts all the functions of the soul. Does one render 
inevitable the death of the body? The other makes 
the death of the soul equally certain. " The soul 
that sinneth it shall die " — die, not as the body dies, 
temporally; but die eternally, as nothing but the 
soul can. 

Such are the inroads that sin makes upon the" moral 
nature, except that our conception falls short of 
15* 



174 SYMBOLS OF CHRIST. 

the terrible reality. On every hand the ravages of 
this malady appear. It pervades every circle, and 
attacks every spirit. It wrings sighs and wailings 
from countless hearts. But thanks to Him who has 
provided a sufficient remedy. There is "balm in 
Gilead ; " there is a " Physician there.'' A blessed 
voice comes from " beyond the vail," saying, " Behold, 
I will bring it health and cure, and I will cure them, 
and reveal unto them the abundance of peace and 
truth." 

" Yes, there's a great Physician near ; 
Look up, my fainting soul, and live : 
See, in his heavenly smiles appear 
Such help as nature cannot give. 

" See, in the Saviour's dying blood, 

Life, health, and bliss abundant flow ! 
'Tis only that dear sacred flood 

Can ease thy pain, and heal thy woe." 

When man is prostrated by bodily disease, and it 
assumes an alarming appearance, he looks about 
him for a physician. " Who is best qualified to ad- 
minister in my case?" he earnestly inquires. He 
loses no time, and spares no expense, in securing the 
attendance of whomsoever his heart desires. All 
do not make the same choice, neither do all exhibit 
the same degree of earnestness and wisdom in their 



175 



selection. But all alike ask for a physician. It is 
so in regard to this disease of the soul. As soon as 
man is aware that it has taken deep hold of his 
moral nature, and that his spirituh.1 interests are in 
danger, he demands a remedy. He asks for some 
being, or some way to cure him. The untaught 
heathen inflicts tortures upon the body to heal this 
disease of his soul. He tears his flesh, and endures 
severe privations, as a remedy. The ignorant Papist, 
in a similar way, and with equal devotion, makes 
painful penance his mode of healing. The strict 
Pharisees depend upon the exact observance of the 
law, and " pay tithe of mint, and anise, and cumin," 
as their only hope of restoration. But others come 
directly to Christ, pleading with the inspired 
Psalmist, " Heal my soul, for I have sinned against 
thee." That the latter class are wise above all 
others, is evident from the following qualifications 
of the Great Physician for his ofi&ce. 

He loves the work. 

A person is well qualified for no office which he 
does not love. A pursuit must be the choice of the 
heart, or it will yield neither enjoyment nor profit. 
To love ardently any particular calling is the as- 
surance of success therein. Multitudes of failures, in 
the various pursuits of life, occur in consequence of 



176 SYMBOLS OF CHRIST. 

the heart being elsewhere. We are wont to speak 
of the tact of persons in different trades and profes- 
sions. This tact cannot be separated from this love 
for a calling. It cannot be ascribed to a person 
who does not delight to follow his avocation. True, 
an individual may possess this quality without de- 
voting himself to the profession to which it points. 
What we mean is, that in every instance of marked 
success, where tact is ascribed to a person in his 
chosen pursuit, w^e shall also find him strongly at- 
tached to his work. The clergyman, the lawyer, the 
merchant, the mechanic, the farmer, all must be 
drawn by this bond of love to their several employ- 
ments, or die leaving little accomplished. It is 
equally true of the physician. The sinking patient 
would be quite unwilling to employ one who lacks 
this qualification. It is requisite to secure a degree 
of interest and carefulness. 

But nothing can exceed the love of Christ for his 
work. He evinced it in every act. By privations 
and hardships, self-denials and sacrifices, toils and 
prayers, life and death, he manifested it. Never 
was there such self-forgetfulness witnessed as he 
ever exhibited. With all the trials and sufferings 
incident to the office before him, he cheerfully, and 
even rejoicingly, adopted it. He laid aside the 



177 



glory which he had with the Father, and left a throne 
of honor and power which he might have occupied 
all the while, for the sake of administering to the 
necessities of the sin-sick soul. Greater love than 
this for a calling can no man show. Often the pros- 
pect of larger gains, a more ample compensation, 
induces men to leave their wonted avocations alto- 
gether, and enter upon others less congenial to their 
hearts. To forego a lesser gain for a greater is 
common in the secular world. It is a principle of 
action with the multitude. But Christ denied him- 
self the greater good for the less, so far as his own 
personal experience was concerned. It must cer- 
tainly have been a greater blessing to sit enthroned 
in glory ineffable, where sin and sorrow never enter 
to defile, than to have taken upon himself " the form 
of a servant," and "become obedient unto death, 
even the death of the cross." To the world it was 
indeed a greater good, since it brought " life and 
immortality to light ; " and so far as an infinite flow 
of satisfaction from the fruits of his mission is con- 
cerned, it may have been gain to himself. But so 
far as regards his own personal experience in the 
flesh, (and it is of this we speak,) it was yielding 
glory for shame, joy for sorrow, and life for death. 
In this the Saviour proved himself abundantly quali- 



178 SYMBOLS OF CHRIST. 

fied to restore the soul of man. He came " to saye 
that which was lost " because he loved to do it. 

The Great Physician is tender and sympathizing. 

Tenderness and sympathy are indispensable re- 
quisites in a medical attendant. The more deeply 
he can enter into the feelings and wants of the 
patient, the better qualified he is to do him good. 
This tender interest is so congenial to the heart of 
the sufferer that it inspires his confidence and love. 
He commits himself to the care and skill of such a 
one with the utmost cheerfulness. This sympathy 
becomes a kind of solace and support when experi- 
encing intense physical pain. Human nature pleads 
for this in hours of weakness and danger. However 
insensible it has been to the warm charities of life in 
hours of health and strength, it calls for them in 
distress and sorrow. The opposite of this quality 
is spurned from the bed-side of the sick and dying. 
It has no business there. 

The Saviour was distinguished for these charac- 
teristics. If there was one place on earth for which 
he was prepared above all others, it was where dis- 
ease and death did their fearful work. History 
does not furnish us with such touching scenes as 
those which the interviews of Christ with the sick 
and sorrowing afford. The artist may find in these 



THE soul's physician. 179 

fruitful subjects for his pencil. They present Christ 
in one of his most endearing relations to mankind. 
Behold him as lie first looked upon the widow of 
Nain, following the lifeless body of her deceased son 
to the grave ! The sight of the afflicted woman, 
bereaved of her only earthly support, deeply wrought 
upon the Saviour's feelings. He drew near to the 
bent and sorrowing parent, with his heart full of 
emotion. "And he said unto her. Weep not." His 
words fell upon her ear with that power and solace 
which belongs only to divine utterances. There 
was that in this unexpected address of tender sym- 
pathy which must have bound up her broken heart. 
They were the words of one who evidently spoke 
from the depths of a sorrowful experience, and who 
fully appreciated the mother's anguish. As he 
gazed upon that stricken form, perhaps the remains 
of a most worthy, devoted son, his tenderness deep- 
ened, and he longed to see him breathe again. How 
many mingle in scenes of equal interest with a 
stoical indifference ! With minds absorbed in the 
welfare of self alone, they have little sympathy to 
be expended beyond what concerns personal experi- 
ence. But Christ possessed a different heart. He 
felt so intensely for that aged parent that he stopped 
not short of the exercise of miraculous power. 



180 SYMBOLS OP CHRIST. 

He commanded deatli to relinquish his victim, and 
let the young man live again. " And he that was 
dead sat up and began to speak. And he delivered 
him to his mother." 

This was a case of sympathy with the deceased 
patient's weeping friends. Christ had equal feeling 
for the patient himself. Behold him at the pool of 
Bethesda, where " lay a great multitude of impotent 
folk, blind, halt, and withered ! " His attention was 
drawn particularly to a sufferer whose malady had 
been of " thirty-eight years " standing. " Wilt thou 
be made whole ? " he inquired of the disheartened 
man. Perhaps the invalid had well nigh yielded up 
his hope of restoration in consequence of his pro- 
tracted illness, and the failure of all remedies hith- 
erto. This circumstance may have attracted the 
attention of Christ to the helpless man. There he 
had sat by the pool for long and weary months, with 
no one to lift him into its healing waters, so that all 
his expectations were baffled. But now the great 
Sympathizer was near. Jesus looked upon him with 
sincere compassion, and the old man's heart, perhaps 
almost withered by disappointment, felt the power 
of his tenderness. The end of his sufferings had 
come. The Saviour " made him whole." 

There are also the cases of the nobleman's son, 



THE soul's physician. 181 

the paralytic, the centurion's servant, the man sick 
with dropsy, the daughter of the Syrophenician wo- 
man, the lunatic child, blind old Bartimeus, and 
other instances of tender regard for the halt and 
lame, the deaf, dumb, and blind, all of which are 
illustrations of the subject in question. These ex- 
amples of Christ's sympathizing interest in the bod- 
ily infirmities of men are symbolical of his regard 
for their souls. The desire which he cherished for 
their physical restoration is no more than a type or 
emblem of his desire for their spiritual health. He 
was not more earnest to save their bodies from the 
grave than he is, and always has been, to save their 
souls from hell. He did not feel for the poor, blind, 
disheartened, and dying wayfarer more than he does 
for the corrupt, unhappy, endangered, and perishing 
sinner. What melting words frequently dropped 
from his lips ! " Come unto me, all ye that labor 
and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." " 
Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, 
and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often 
would I have gathered thy children together, even 
as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, 
and ye would not ! " 

The deep sympathy of Christ for the sinner is 
consistent with the severest remedies which he ap- 
16 



1S2 SYMBOLS OF CHRIST. 

plies to restore the soul. A good physician does 
not allow his tender feelings to lead captive his 
judgment. His compassion for the patient will not 
cause him to spare him necessary pain. He nause- 
ates him with unpleasant drugs, and subjects him to 
painful operations, when the case demands such 
treatment. The loathsome draught and surgeon's 
knife are used by the most compassionate physicians. 
Their object is to save life ; and this may often re- 
quire severe remedies. It is so with Christ. It is 
necessary, sometimes, to inflict great sufferings upon 
man to save his soul. The keenest bodily pain and 
mental anguish alone can bring him to the cross 
oftentimes. Disappointment, sickness, sorrow, and 
adversity, in every variety of form, are among the 
remedies which the Great Physician applies. He 
does not delight to see the unbeliever wretched. 
He has no pleasure in the remorse of the most guilty 
sinner on earth. But he prefers to see him suffer 
temporarily rather than eternally. He chooses that 
he should be afflicted and tortured rather than that 
he should lose his soul. This proves that his ten^ 
derness is not a transient burst of emotion, but a 
deep-laid and essential element of his nature. 

The Great Physician is skilful. 

Skill is indispensable in the medical practitioner 



183 



in the same sense that it is necessary to man in every 
other calling. This implies the possession of a dis- 
criminating mind, to discover the nature of the dis- 
ease, and the proper selection and application of 
remedies. Unless the disease which is preying upon 
the system be understood, a fatal mistake may be 
made at the beginning. Instead of healing the 
patient, the medical adviser might, in such a case, 
aggravate the malady. His medicine might send 
him to the grave sooner than the disease. Skill 
also implies ability in the application of remedies. 
Here, too, a mistake may prove fatal. A wrong 
application of the right remedy might end the days 
of the sufferer. And yet, after all the skill which 
the best physician commands, the patient may die. 
The highest development of medical ability may be 
baffled by the nature and secret inroads of the dis- 
ease. 

But Christ possesses a skill which never fails. It 
was no easier for him to cause a sick man to take 
up his bed and walk, than it is for him to give health 
and joy to the soul, " He knows what is in man.'' 
" All things are naked and open to Him with whom 
we have to do." For this reason he never makes a 
mistake. He beholds at a single glance the fearful 
workings of this moral disease within. The resto- 



184 SYMBOLS OF CHEIST. 

ration of blind Bartimeus to sight was expressive of 
the ease and certainty with which he cures blindness 
of mind. The cleansing of the lepers with so much 
facility was significant of that more important 
cleansing which he performs upon the polluted soul. 
" Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as 
white as snow ; though they be red like crimson, 
they shall be as wool." No matter of how long 
standing the sinners case may be, nor how hidden 
and insidious his malady, nor how terrible its attack, 
nor how deep a hold it has upon his nature ; the 
Saviour comprehends the whole from the beginning. 
To recur again to his mission in the flesh as evi- 
dence of his skill. " Wherever he came, disease 
and suffering fled from his presence. His path 
might be traced from place to place in lines of life, 
health, and joy. Where he was expected, the public 
way was thronged with forms of helplessness, dis- 
ease, and woe. Where he had passed, the restored 
might be seen making trial of their new-found pow- 
ers ; listeners formed into groups to hear the tale 
of healing, and the delighted objects of his compas- 
sion rehearsing with earnestness what had passed, 
imitating his tones, and even trying to convey an 
idea of his condescending ways. His voice was the 
first sound which many of them heard ; his name 



THE SOUL'S PHYSICIAN. 185 

the first word which they had pronounced ; his 
blessed form the first sight which they had ever be- 
held. And often, at the close of a laborious day, 
when his wearied frame required repose, the chil- 
dren of affliction besieged his retreat, and implored 
his help. And did they ever seek in vain ? Wea- 
ried and worn as he was, 'he pleased not himself;' 
he went forth, and patiently listened to all their 
tales of woe, tasted their several complaints, raised 
each suppliant from the dust, nor left them till he 
had absorbed their sufferings, and healed them alV^ ^ 
Such was his wonderful success in healing bodily 
infirmities ; nor is his success as a spiritual healer 
less marked* On every hand we have the evidence 
of his skill. In our persons and families the proof 
accumulates. Here one, and there another, is ready 
to magnify his " power to save." They have been 
made joyful in God. They can scarcely restrain 
their exceeding delight at the cure that has been 
wrought upon their natures. They call upon their 
souls, and all that is within them, to praise his holy 
name. They publish the fact abroad, and tell what 
the Lord has done for their souls. Others hear and 
flock to the Great Healer, crying, '' Lord, have mer- 
cy on us." The news of his mighty works spreads 

* The Great Teacher, p. 251. 

16* 



186 SYMBOLS OP CHRIST. 

from shore to shore. They come from the islands 
of the sea and " India's coral strand " to be healed. 
The dark sons of Africa, and those " on Greenland's 
icy mountains," lift their supplications, " Lord, save, 
or we perish." The *' north gives up," and the 
" south keeps not back ; " the " sons from far," and 
" daughters from the ends of the earth," come, each 
pleading for salvation. Thus the Saviour's name 
is magnified on almost every shore, and the voice of 
thanksgiving and praise from millions of rejoicing 
mortals ascends for the skill of the Great Physician. 

The Great Physician is attentive. 

This is another distinguishing trait of the good 
medical practitioner. He has too just views of the 
responsibility resting upon him to be negligent of 
the poorest patient. It is no small thing to have 
another's life committed to his trust, and to feel that 
he really holds it in his own hands. And it is even 
so. The patient yields himself up to the medical 
adviser as his only hope. The latter accepts the 
charge. He must do it if he would be successful. 
Any reserve on the sick man's part interferes with 
the triumph of skill. The physician must receive 
him in charge, to do for him just as he thinks best. 
He thus holds the lives of his friends and neighbors 
in his hand. Often several may be upon the verge 



THE soul's physician. 187 

of the grave at the same time ; all their lives hang- 
ing upon his attendance. Each one of them may be 
the centre of a cluster of hopes and hearts, and this 
adds interest to the affecting reality. Think you 
that a thoughtful mind can become negligent with 
such a burden upon it ? When the nightfall brings 
balmy sleep to others, think you that the recollec- 
tion of one or more patients who may pass into the 
eternal world before the morning dawns, does not 
sometimes banish " nature's sweet restorer " ? When 
the bell tolls the departure of a spirit, does not that 
mind, which has been so much exercised to retain it 
on earth, experience sensations peculiar to its own 
office-work ? Yes ; there is here a pressure of re- 
sponsibility upon the good physician which leaves 
no room for negligence. With careful eye he watches 
the progress of disease, subjecting himself to in- 
convenience, and even to danger, in administering 
to the wants of the suffering. The terrible pesti- 
lence may drive others from their city homes to the 
country for safety ; but he remains at the couch of 
the sick and dying. From house to house, where 
the scourge performs its desolating work, he goes 
upon his errand of mercy, as one commissioned to 
meet a solemn duty. Even the night, which others 
claim to be theirs for rest, he cannot call his own- 



188 SYMBOLS OF OHUIST. 

The messenger threads the silent streets when the 
curtains of midnight have fallen upon the habita- 
tions, and his call must be obeyed. Weariness, nor 
sickness scarcely, can be pleaded against the urgent 
request. The elements may be raging in wild com- 
motion ; but the fierce storm must not delay his 
visit. The anxious patient demands his attention, 
and away he goes to bestow it upon him. 

But the Saviour's care for the soul far exceeds 
this. " Without money and without price " he visits 
the humblest member of the human family. He 
goes to the lowliest cot, though it stand at the very 
gates of the Orient. The faintest whisper, the 
feeblest sigh, awakens a response in his heart. No 
pining mortal ever expressed a want, with proper 
trust, without sharing the ready care of this heaven- 
ly attendant. Is he a perishing sinner, tormented 
with a " fearful looking for of judgment " ? This 
great Restorer is at hand, and says, " Thy sins are 
forgiven thee ; " " thy faith hath made thee whole." 
Is he a believer, with a cheerful hope to animate him 
in his work, beset with trials and temptations? "Lo, 
I am with you always," is the assurance from those 
divine lips. Does he bend under a weight of sor- 
rows ? The same watchful being is nigh with a rem- 
edy. " My grace is sufficient for thee." Let his 



189 



wants be what they may, and his abode where it 
may ; let him ask ever so much or little ; let him 
pine in solitude, or sicken on royal couch ; let him 
have a " thorn in the flesh," or a sting in the con- 
science, — he has but to lift his heart fervently above, 
and the divine Helper hastens to his relief. 

The Great Physician is wed, also, by the strongest 
love to his patients. 

We have already seen that Christ loves his office- 
work ; but he also loves the patient with a love that 
" many waters cannot quench." 

The most faithful physician may not love those to 
whom he ministers. He may be tender and sympa- 
thizing, skilful and attentive, and yet not feel any 
personal attachment to them. He may enjoy and 
follow his profession for its own sake, and glory in 
his scientific skill, and prove himself eminently suc- 
cessful, without a particle of genuine love for the 
sufferers. Not so with Christ. He so loved the 
race that he gave himself to die for their recovery. 
No hope of honor or fame, of wealth or power, al- 
lured him to the work. He came to effect recovery 
from the curse of sin, for which he paid the price 
of his own blood. He did it that he might gratify 
his love for man, and go about from one to another, 
knocking at the door of each heart, and saying, 



190 SYMBOLS OF CHRIST. 

" Behold, I stand at the door, and knock ; if any 
man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come 
in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.'' 

Such are some of the qualifications of the Phy- 
sician of souls, and he demands the confidence of 
our dying race. He is worthy of that confidence. 
No one can doubt his ability to heal and save. The 
language of all should be, " Though he slay me, yet 
will I trust in him." 

A short time ago a stranger listened to the sad 
tale of suffering from a populous city where the 
pestilence was raging, and his noble heart yearned 
to administer comfort to the victims. Although he 
had started on a pleasure tour, long before planned, 
and anticipated with much interest, he, nevertheless, 
turned his course to the plague-stricken city. With 
the devotion of a Howard, he went from house to 
house to render assistance. He stood by the dying 
beds of those whom friends, in their consternation, 
had forsaken, bathed their fevered brows, and closed 
their eyes when death had done its worst. Early 
and late, night and day, he sought the smitten and 
distressed. He spared not himself, that he might 
carry blessings to desolate homes and hearts. He 
was every where hailed as an angel of mercy. The 
afflicted poured out their gratitude from overflowing 



THE soul's physician. 191 

hearts. All admired his self-sacrificing spirit, and 
revered him as a man of uncommon benevolence. 
As an expression of their regard for his interest in 
their welfare, they elevated him recently to the high- 
est post of honor within their power to bestow. 
They placed him at the head of their municipal 
affairs. 

If this be well, as an expression of gratitude to 
man, with what emotions ought we to regard the 
Eedeemer ! When there was no eye to pity, and 
no arm to save, his own heart pitied, and his own 
arm brought salvation. In providing a remedy for 
the dying world he laid down his own life. He 
suifered infinitely more to heal the morally diseased 
than ever fell to the lot of man. While sin, with a 
desolating stroke which finds an appropriate symbol 
only in the raging pestilence, was hurrying mortals 
to the " second death," he interposed, and saved 
them by submitting to the pangs of crucifixion. 
Ought you not to magnify his devotion to your ne- 
cessities ? Will you not give him the highest place 
in your affections ? Is not the deepest gratitude and 
loftiest praise due to him as the Great Physician, 
who " healeth all your diseases," and bringeth you 
to that world where '' the inhabitants shall not say, 
I am sick " ? 



IX. 

THE FOUNTAIN OF LIFE. 



** In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David 
and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and uncleanness." 



Fount of rich, atoning grace ! 

When the two-edged sword of wrath 
Flashed upon our guiltj race, 
Hanging o'er their hopeless path, 
Then from thy pierced heart burst forth the flood, 
To purge our guilt — thy own most precious blood. 

Fount of being ! fount of bliss ! 

Fount of sin-atoning blood ! 
Fount of peace and holiness ! 

Plunge, O, plunge me in thy flood ! 
Thus cleansed and blest, ere long my soul shall rise, 
To drink from thee life's Fountain in the skies. 

Rev, J. East. 

A FOUNTAIN is among the most pleasing of natural 
objects. It is both useful and ornamental. From 
the earliest ages it has been highly prized for both 
of these purposes. In private and public gardens 
it has occupied a conspicuous place. Its sparkling 
jets of water have been a great attraction in royal 

(192) 



THE FOUNTAIN OF LIFE. 193 

parks. At enormous expense, artificial fountains 
have been formed on public grounds. Scarcel}^ any 
outlay has been considered too extravagant in pro- 
viding this pleasant adornment. 

It is, however, the importance and value of the 
fountain to Eastern nations that renders it an ap- 
propriate symbol of Christ. Dr. Chandler, in his 
" Travels in Asia Minor," says, " The reader, as we 
proceed, will find frequent mention of fountains. 
Their number is owing to the nature of the country 
and the climate. The soil, parched and thirsty, de- 
mands moisture to aid vegetation ; and a cloudless 
sun, which inflames the air, requires for the people 
the verdure, with shade and air, its agreeable at- 
tendants. Hence fountains are met with not only 
in the towns and villages, but in the fields and gar- 
dens, and by the sides of the roads, and of the 
beaten tracks on the mountains. Many of them are 
the useful donations of humane persons, while living, 
or have been bequeathed as legacies on their de- 
cease." 

The above furnishes a good reason for the fre- 
quent allusions of the inspired writers to fountains 
as emblematical of the choicest spiritual blessings. 
The Psalmist, in addressing the Most High, says of 
those who put their trust in him, " Thou siialt make 
17 



194 SYMBOLS OF CHRIST. 

tliem drink of the river of thy pleasures. For with 
thee is the fountain of life." Solomon compares 
the counsels of a pious man, that are fruitful of 
good to those who hear and obey them, to the same 
object : " The law of the wise is a fountain of life 
to depart from the snares of death." When the 
prophet would describe the destruction of Ephraim's 
glory, he said, " His spring shall become dry, and 
his fountain shall be dried up." In Jeremiah God 
is represented as expostulating with the Jews in 
the following language : " For my people have com- 
mitted two evils ; they have forsaken me, the Foun- 
tain OF living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, 
broken cisterns, that can hold no water." The 
graces of religion that thrive in the believer's heart, 
and flow out to bless others, are spoken of under 
the same figure. " He that believeth on me, out of 
his belly shall flow rivers of living water." 

The following texts refer to Christ : " In that 
day there shall be a fountain opened to the house 
of David, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for 
sin and uncleanness." " A fountain shall come forth 
of the house of the Lord, and shall water the valley 
of Shittim." The prophet foretold the great spirit- 
ual prosperity that would characterize the earth, in 
the following language of Jehovah : " I will open 



THE FOUNTAIN OF LIFE. 195 

rivers in higli places, and fountains in the midst of 
the valleys ; I will make the wilderness a pool of 
water, and the dry lands springs of water.'' Christ 
said of himself to the woman of Samaria, " Whoso- 
ever drinketh of the water that I shall give him 
shall never thirst ; but the water that I shall give 
him shall be in him a well of water springing up 
into everlasting life." 

The use which the inspired writers make of water 
as a symbol deserves to be noticed more particular- 
ly in this connection. In the following passage it 
beautifully illustrates the riches of divine grace : 
" Thou visitest the earth, and waterest it ; thou 
greatly enrichest it with the river of God, which is 
full of water." Spiritual cleansing is set forth as 
follows : " Then will I sprinkle clean water upon 
you, and ye shall be clean ; from all your filthiness, 
and from all your idols, w^ill I cleanse you." The 
bliss that awaits the ransomed of the Lord in glory 
is symbolized in the same manner. " For the Lamb, 
which is in the midst of the throne, shall feed them, 
and shall lead them unto living fountains op 
WATERS ; and God shall wipe away all tears from 
their eyes." 

The foregoing will suffice to show the particular 
use of the symbol under discussion. From the 



196 SYMBOLS OF CHRIST. 

texts of Scripture cited we are able to derive the 
lessons which the Fountain of Life suggests. As 
an emblem of Christ it is appropriate and instruc- 
tive. A pool or a river is inadequate to express 
the fulness there is in Christ. They are limited, 
and may be exhausted when human wants are most 
numerous. Neither can they represent the intrinsic 
worth of the Saviour's character as the fountain 
does. The latter is well suited to express these and 
kindred ideas, as the sequel will prove. 

A fountain is living, or fresh. 

It sends forth no other than " living waters." 
Dead, stagnant water is one of the most repulsive 
objects in nature. It is the source of deadly miasm 
and consequent disease. On the other hand, a run- 
ning stream is beautiful. Its murmuring, glassy 
waters lend a charm to vale and meadow. The eye 
never tires of gazing upon its meandering course, 
or of marking its life-giving power. A landscape 
devoid of streamlet or river lacks the essential char- 
acteristic of freshness. Hence artists draw largelj^ 
from the natural divisions of water in perfecting 
their finest productions. But, to the inhabitants of 
the East, clear, crystal water must have possessed 
an attraction beyond its highest value to ourselves. 
Its scarcity in that region of arid deserts rendered 



THE FOUNTAIN OF LIFE. 197 

it a most coveted blessing. Binder speaks of this 
as follows, in his Travels : " The great scarcity of 
water was felt by all the people of the camp ; and 
by none more than myself. I begged water from 
the negro slaves that attended the camp, but with 
very indifferent success ; for though I let no oppor- 
tunity slip, and was very urgent in my solicitations, 
both to the Moors and to the negroes, I was but ill 
supplied, and frequently passed the night in the sit- 
uation of Tantalus. No sooner had I shut my eyes, 
than fancy would convey to me the streams and riv- 
ers of my native land ; there, as I wandered along 
the verdant bank, I surveyed the clear stream with 
transport, and hastened to swallow the delightful 
draught ; but, alas ! disappointment awakened me, 
and I found myself a lonely captive, perishing with 
thirst amid the wilds of Africa." The Psalmist 
makes allusion to the same fact when he exclaims, 
"As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so 
panteth my soul after thee, God." The hunted 
deer is driven by his pursuer from his favorite 
haunts to " parched grounds," where he pants to re- 
fresh himself at some cooling stream ; but often dies 
without the enjoyment. So David longed for the 
waters of life ! He felt that he was in " a dry and 
thirsty land, where no water is," morally, and that 
17* 



198 SYMBOLS OF CHEIST. 

he must " drink or die." " God, my soul thirst- 
eth for thee," he cried out, in his extremity, com- 
paring himself with the poor, hunted hart, escaping 
over the burning sands. 

" Living water," then, is doubly precious in the 
East. The course of a stream through a desert may 
be traced as far as the vision extends by the verdure 
that appears along its banks. In like manner, a liv- 
ing fountain is often hailed by the traveller when 
he is many miles distant from it ; for the green tops 
of the waving trees, presenting a striking contrast 
with surrounding barrenness, announce its existence. 
Says Anderson, " The brink of the ' watercourse ' 
is in many places lined with a border of grass, along 
which rows of willows grow up, tall and green, 
which no Bible reader has ever seen without being 
reminded of this very passage : ' And they shall 
spring up as among the grass, and as willows by 
the watercourses,' containing at once one of the 
most beautiful of its allusions, and most precious of 
its promises." 

A fountain, more than a river, pours forth pure, 
sparkling waters. If the foregoing remarks aro 
true of streams, as they irrigate the earth, they are 
doubly true of the fountain. The fact renders the 
allusion to Christ singularly apt. When he ad- 



THE FOUNTAIN OF LIFE. 199 

dressed the woman of Samaria at the Well of Jacob, 
he said, " If thou knewest the gift of God, and who 
it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink ; thou 
wouldst have asked of him, and he would have 
given thee living ivaterJ^ God charges those who 
run after the world with forsaking " the fountain of 
LIVING waters.'' Christ is the source of spiritual 
life and vigor. He opens streams that make glad 
the city of God. He invites us to no stagnant pool 
of formalism. He offers life-giving precepts and 
doctrines to dying men. Moral- verdure and thrift 
appear wherever his gospel spreads. The course 
of the ^' River of Life " can be traced by the lux- 
uriant growth of virtue and piety. It is easy to 
tell where Jesus has been, in any part of the world. 
There Zion is " robed afresh." Moral desolation 
gives place to the " beauty of holiness." In this 
regard, Christianity presents a striking contrast 
with other forms of religion. Romanism and Ma- 
hometanism, not to mention other isms, have been 
like stagnant pools to some portions of the earth, 
poisoning the very atmosphere with their deadly 
effluvia. Nothing valuable in moral character has 
lived around these bitter, pestilential waters. The 
region where they abound has been a region of 
moral contagion and death. As if they were the 



200 SYMBOLS OF CHRIST. 

*' fountains " in Revelation, upon which " a great star 
from heaven " fell when " the third an^el sounded," 
we can almost say of them, " Many men died of the 
waters, because they were made bitter." 

Contrast with the influence of such forms of re- 
ligion that of the gospel of Christ. In another 
place we have spoken of the power of Christianity 
to. renovate and save the world. We have shown 
that it imparts moral and spiritual life to the most 
barren portions of the earth. Hence the propriety 
of symbolizing the great spiritual blessings, which 
Christ bestows, by " living waters." The figure 
does not convey an exaggerated idea of the value 
of the gospel to mankind. It would be difficult to 
magnify this point beyond the truth. The very best 
of the human family do not appreciate the glorious 
boon as they will when they behold the fruits of it 
in the kingdom of God above. So long as the 
world stands, the fountain which Christ opened will 
send forth '^living waters." » 

A fountain symbolizes the freeness of the rospel. 

Nothing can be more free than water. Wherever 
it runs, man is welcome to partake of it. True, in 
some portions of the East, and at certain periods, 
we are informed that the owners of fountains sold 
it to travellers. But generally water is common 



THE FOUNTAIN OF LIFE. 201 

property, to be enjoyed " without money and with- 
out price." The rigid rules of proprietorship which 
men apply to other possessions are not applied to 
this. It would be considered strange and selfish to 
do so. Some travellers say that in those countries 
where they are exorbitantly taxed for every littio 
service rendered to them, water is almost the only 
thing which they receive gratuitously. This being 
true, we may properly consider that the freeness of 
the gospel is suggested by the fountain. 

This truth receives much attention in the Scrip- 
tures. It is one of the essential doctrines of salva- 
tion, so that its importance demands prominence. 
How touchingly John, the Revelator, presents this 
truth! "And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. 
And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him 
that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let 
him take of the water of life freely." John had a 
vision in w^hich he saw " a pure river of water of 
life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne 
of God and the Lamb." To that river of life he 
represents the " Spirit" and the "bride" as saying 
to the whole human family, " Come." No invita- 
tion could be more free. Even he " that heareth " 
is commissioned to extend the invitation to whom- 
soever he pleases. Isaiah extends a similar invita 



202 SYMBOLS OF CHRIST. 

tion to all. " Ho, every one that tliirsteth, come ye 
to the waters, and he that hath no money ; come ye, 
buy and eat ; yea, come, buy wine and milk without 
money, and without price." Here the great Propri- 
etor of the FouNTAm OF Life is represented as 
standing by it, and inviting all, far and near, to come 
and drink therefrom. His voice is that of kindness 
and mercy. Benevolence breathes in every word of 
his gracious invitation. In that friendly word 
" come " is found a volume of meaning. It assures 
the immortal listener that he shall be welcome to a 
draught from this well-spring of salvation. A kind- 
lier and more alluring invitation could not be ex- 
pressed to mortal ears. He who has opened the 
fountain, and to whom belongs every drop of its 
" living waters," proclaims that it is free — free as 
the mountain air or summer's rain. Such texts as 
those we have quoted teach, not only that the bless- 
ings of the gospel are refreshing as running streams, 
but that they are free as the water of the desert to 
the thirsty caravan. 

What a gospel is this ! It cost the life of the Son 
of God, and yet it is free as the water in vale or 
meadow ! It brings to man blessings too costly to 
be bought with gold, and still it is ours without the 
payment of a farthing ! Wonderful gift ! Another 



THE FOUNTAIN OP LIFE. 203 

such fact is not recorded upon the annals of time. 
It stands alone as an expression of divine mercy 
and condescension. It exhibits the boundless be- 
nevolence of Him who became a voluntary exile from 
the skies, not because he was sick of the glory 
which he had with the Father, but because he would 
make salvation free to a lost and ruined race. The 
very cheapness of salvation has been a reason why 
some have rejected it. It differs so much in this 
respect from human plans and enterprises, that it 
awakens unbelief. If a draught of the water of life 
could be purchased at enormous expense, there would 
be many Naamans to secure the precious boon; 
though they would perish rather than wash in the 
Jordan. The feature of the plan of life, which 
ought to excite the wonder and admiration of man, 
is thus turned against the character of God. So 
foolish is man ! So uugrateful is the human heart 1 

A fountain possesses a cleansing property. 

It not only sends forth living, but pure water. 
For this quality it is sought and highly valued. 
Flowing water purifies itself. Its motion prevents 
fermentation, while it aids to dissolve such putrid 
substances as happen to fall into it. It is particu- 
larly true of springs or fountains, that they become 
pure by the process of formation. The water 



204 SYMBOLS OF CHRIST. 

trickles througli the pores and fissures of rocks, 
deeply embedded in the earth, thus passing through a 
process of filtration ; and at the same time, it derives 
from the earths and minerals that flavor which ren- 
ders it agreeable as a beverage. The first outlet to 
the surface of the earth that presents itself, allows it 
to pour forth in the form of a' spring, "clear as 
crystal." 

Christ, as the Fountain of Life, is symbolized by 
this cleansing property. Mankind are sinners in no 
small degree. They are polluted in every part of 
xheir moral being. " Wounds, bruises, and putrefy- 
ing sores" are employed in the Word of God to 
denote their spiritual condition. Every thought and 
imagination of their hearts is evil, and that con- 
tinually. Of themselves, they think and plan wick- 
edness, as if it were their chief delight. Hence the 
need of a Fountain that shall be cleansing as well as 
free. They desire to reign in heaven with the angels 
and the Redeemer. But they must be cleansed from 
their defilement before they are fitted to enter that 
everlasting habitati6n. Sin cannot enter there. 
Every taint of it must be washed away before the 
new song can be struck. A thousand fountains may 
be opened for man ; unless they will cleanse the soul 
from sin, they are worthless and vain. He is still 
unfitted to dwell in heaven. 



THE FOUNTAIN OF LIFE. 205 

Christ satisfies every want of this kind. It is a 
point which stands prominently forth in the gospel 
plan. When Zechariah foretold that there should 
be a " fountain opened to the house of David, and to 
the inhabitants of Jerusalem," he said it would be 
done ^'for sin and undeanness.^^ There was really no 
need of an open fountain but for this purpose. It 
might answer other ends, but unless this purpose 
were accomplished, all other things were compara- 
tively vain. 

Under the Jewish dispensation there was an im- 
posing system of purifications prefiguring the cleans- 
ing blood of Christ. To that Paul refers in his 
Epistle to the Hebrews, as follows : " For if the 
blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of a heif- 
er sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying 
of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of 
Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered him- 
self without spot to God, purge your conscience 
from dead works to serve the living God ! " The 
design of all these forms and rites of purification 
was mainly to intimate the necessity of inward puri- 
ty, without which no man can see the Lord. For 
the most part the purifications 'were performed with 
water, though sometimes with blood and oil. The 
water was to be drawn from a spring or running 
18 



206 SYMBOLS OF CHRIST. 

stream, that it might be pure, and thereby become a 
more suitable emblem of the fountain of life. 

The most dreaded of all affections from which the 
Jews sought to be purified was the leprosy, an infec- 
tious, foul disease, which has ever been considered a 
fit symbol of moral pollution. When a person was 
healed of this dreadful complaint, he was carefully 
examined by the priest who performed upon him the 
rites of purification, that he might again enjoy the 
society of his friends, and the privileges of the 
church, from all of which he had been excluded in 
consequence of his loathsome disorder. " The priest 
was required to take two small birds, and to kill 
one of them over an earthen vessel filled with river 
water, and sprinkle the leper with it seven times 
with a stick of cedar wood, upon which a bunch of 
hyssop was tied with a scarlet thread ; after which 
the priest was to pronounce him purified, and let 
loose the living bird into the open air.'' (Lev. xiv. 
2-7.) Ilere we have typified the cleansing of the 
soul from sin by the sprinkling of the blood of 
Christ, as spoken of in the First Epistle of Peter : 
" Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the 
Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto 
obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ. ^^ 

In the instance of the leper who went to Christ, 



TITE FOUNTAIN OF LIFE. 207 

saying, " Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me 
clean," we have the truth under discussion forcibly 
presented. The beseeching leper was, by law and 
custom, separated from men, as sin excludes the 
wicked from God and the society of holy beings in 
heaven. His disease was the most loathsome of 
evils that afflict the body, as sin is the foulest taint 
upon the immortal soul. No human skill could heal 
his malady, as no human invention can wash away 
stains of guilt. Christ alone could make hiuLclean, 
as he alone can now purge the soul from corruption 
and prepare it for the skies. 

"The blood of Christ cleanseth from all sin." 
" This is he that came by water and blood, even 
Jesus Christ ; not by water only, but by water and 
blood." " But now in Christ Jesus ye who some- 
times were afar off are made nigh by the blood of 
Christ." " Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not 
redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, 
from your vain conversation received by tradition 
from your fathers, but with the precious blood of 
Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without 
spot." "And they sung a song, saying. Thou art 
worthy to take the book, and to open the seals 
thereof; for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us 
to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and 
tongue, and people, and nation." 



208 SYMBOLS OF CHRIST. 

Such texts show the value of the fountain opened 
"for sin and uocleanness." Looking back from them 
to the Jewish sacrifices, we see the connection of the 
latter with the Saviour of the world. Here, too, 
guilty man finds relief from the inroads of sin. Else- 
where he looks in vain. His moral contamination 
is removed only by washing in the blood of Christ. 
" Without shedding of blood is no remission." This 
idea of cleansing is happily embodied in the touch- 
ing hymn, — 

" There is a fountain filled with blood 
Drawn from Immanuel's veins, 
And sinners plunged beneath that flood 
Lose all their guilty stains. 

" The dying thief rejoiced to see 
That fountain, in his day ; 
And there may I, though vile as he. 
Wash all my sins away." 

A fountain symbolizes the fulness of Christ. 

A spring or fountain is overflowing, otherwise it 
would not pour forth and water the surface of the 
earth. A never-failing well is fed by a full, inex- 
haustible spring. For this reason a wise man sinks 
his well until he has unmistakable evidence that he 
has fallen upon an overflowing spring. Brooks, and 
even small rivers, often fail. Were man always 



THE FOUNTAIN OF LIFE. 209 

dependent upon these for water, there are seasons 
"when multitudes would perish. lo Eastern coun- 
tries this assertion would be fearfully verified. But 
the fountain possesses a fulness that renders its 
supply adequate when streams become dry under a 
scorching sun. Families and neighborhoods depend 
upon this source of supply without anxiety. They 
never anticipate a day when every well shall fail 
because the springs of the earth are dried up. 

In this regard a fountain is a fit emblem of Christ. 
His fulness is a theme upon which the Scriptures 
have somewhat to say. " For in him dwelleth all 
the fulness of the Godhead bodily." " It pleased 
the Father that in him should all fulness dwell." 
"And to know the love of Christ, which passeth 
knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the ful- 
ness of God." " Till we all come in the unity of the 
faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto 
a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of tlie 
fulness of Christ." " And of his fulness have all we 
received, and grace for grace." These passages 
show that there is something important in the ful- 
ness of Christ. What is it? Fulness! The term 
is replete with meaning. It conveys to the believer 
a most delightful view of his Lord and Master. In 
him is an ample supply for all spiritual wants. All 
18* 



210 SYMBOLS OF CHRIST. 

that is in the Father is in Christ. The Iotc, mercj, 
and benevolence of the Godhead are found in the 
Saviour. " It pleased the Father " that he should 
lack nothing essential to the final triumph of the 
gospel. The dignity, honor, power, wisdom, and 
grace, that are needful for salvation, are his to dis- 
play. His followers never find themselves in cir- 
cumstances where his grace is not sufficient for them. 
Often the richest sources of earthly hope and com- 
fort fail them, and they sit and mourn in solitary 
places. But the Saviour never disappoints. Among 
the thousands who have truly sought bim, not one 
has turned away unblest. All, and more than the 
most believing anticipated, have been received. In 
days of darkness, when the church has been beset 
with foes, Christ has been her strength. When she 
has needed power to prosecute an enterprise, he has 
possessed it to impart. When wisdom has been re- 
quired, his children have had only to call upon him, 
and it was freely given. When sickness has wasted 
the strength, or death invaded loving circles, noth- 
ing has been so precious to the tried as his sustain- 
ing grace. Thousands can to-day adopt the senti- 
ment of Cowper, — 

" The billows swell, the winds are high. 
Clouds overcast my wintry sky ; 



THE FOUNTAIN OF LIFE. 211 

Out of the depths to thee I call ; 

My fears are great, my strength is small. 

Amidst the roaring of the sea, 

My soul still hangs her hope on thee ; 

Thy constant love, thy faithful care, 

Is all that saves me from despair." 

A fountain is perennial. 

This idea is implied in the foregoing. In the 
East, during certain portions of the year, quite im- 
portant streams are dry. There, of course, a spring 
of water is more suggestive of this sentiment than it 
is here. > But wherever a fountain exists, it suggests 
the thought of perennial waters. 

The fountain of life is everlasting. It will con- 
tinue to flow when all the rivers are dry, and there 
is " no more sea." We have already quoted the 
words of Christ, '' Whosoever drinketh of the water 
that I shall give him shall never thirst ; but the wa- 
ter that I shall give him shall be in him a well of 
water springing up into everlasting life^ The grace 
of Christ shall yield him a continual supply. Reli- 
gion shall abide within him as a well-spring. 
Barnes says of the phrase '' springing up,^' "This is 
a beautiful image. It shall bubble or spring up like 
a fountain. It is not like a stagnant pool ; not like 
a deep well, but like an ever-living fountain that 
plays at all seasons of the year, in heat and cold, 



212 SYMBOLS OF CHRIST. 

and ill all external circumstances of weather, wheth- 
er foul or fair, wet or dry. So religion always 
lives ; and amidst all changes of external circum- 
stances — in heat and cold, hunger and thirst, pros- 
perity and affliction, life, persecution, contempt, or 
death — it still lives on, and refreshes and cheers the 
soul." And what is better, the last end is more 
glorious than the first. " Into everlasting life ! " It is 
not only delightful to drink of "living waters," but 
the pleasure increases with the nearing of heaven. 
The sweetest draughts are enjoyed w^hen the spirit 
ascends to quaff from the river of life. No more 
thirst ! The everlasting fountain fills paradise with 
joy and gladness ! 

Reader, do you appreciate the value of Christ in 
the relation denoted? Suppose this fountain were 
suddenly dried up, as every natural source of water 
will be at the end of the world ; can you conceive 
of the condition in which mankind would be in such 
a crisis? You can readily imagine what would be 
the scene, were every body of water on the face of 
the earth exhausted within a day or week. Such a 
scene is but an emblem of that moral desolation, 
misery, and unutterable woo, that would character- 
ize the world, were God to seal the fountain of life. 
Christ is the only source of the world's true happi- 
ness and hope. 



THE FOUNTAIN OP LIFE. 213 

Dr. Shaw speaks of a prolific well or fountain in 
Barbarj^, the water of which is received into a large 
basin for the accommodation of travellers. Some- 
where upon or around this basin is inscribed this 
warning: ^^ Drink and aiuay.'^ Robbers infest the 
region, and this counsel is inscribed there to put 
travellers upon their guard, and hasten them on their 
journey. They would naturally linger around such 
a refreshing spot, and thus expose themselves to the 
depredations of bandits. Christians may learn a 
lesson from this fact. They are disposed to linger 
in the journey of life. Even when regaling them- 
selves at the "fountain of living waters," they need 
to be reminded that time is passing, and that " the 
day is at hand." Spiritual foes lurk about the wells 
of salvation, and Christian wayfarers need a kind 
note of alarm, that they may "drink and away" to 
the land of promise and safety. 

Up, pilgrim and rover ; 

Redouble thy haste ; 
Nor rest thou till over 

Life's wearisome waste ; 
Ere the wild forest ranger 

Thy footsteps betray 
To trouble and danger, 

O, drink and away. 



214 SYMBOLS OF CHRIST. 

With toil thougli thou languish, 

The mandate obey ; 
Spur on, though in anguish ; 

There's death in delay ; 
No bloodhound, want-wasted, 

Is fiercer than they ; 
Pass by it untasted, 

Or drink and away ! 

Though sore be the trial. 

Thy God is thy stay ; 
Though deep the denial, 

Yield not in dismay ; 
But, rapt in high vision, 

Look on to the day 
"When the fountains Elysian 

Thy thirst shall allay. 

There shalt thou forever 

Enjoy thy repose, 
Where life's gentle river 

Eternally flows ; 
Yea, there shalt thou rest thee 

Forever and aye, 
With none to molest thee — 

Then drink and away ! Ceoswell. 



X. 

THE ROCK OP AGES. 



They drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them; and that 
Rock was Christ." 



Rock of ages, cleft for me, 

Let me hide myself in thee ; 

Let the water and the blood 

From thy side, a healing flood, 

Be of fear and sin the cure, 

Save from wrath, and make me pure. 

While I draw this fleeting breath. 
When mine eyelids close in death. 
When I rise to worlds unknown. 
And behold thee on thy throne, — 
Rock of ages, cleft for me, 
Let me hide myself in thee. Toplady. 

Few symbols are so frequently employed in the 
Scriptures as the rock. It is not used alone as a 
symbol of Christ, but is found in other connections. 
When Isaiah was describing the coming forth of 
Jehovah to judge the people for their wickedness, 
he said of the fleeing wicked, " to go into the clefts 

(215) 



216 SYMBOLS OF CHRIST. 

of the rocks, and into the tops of the ragged roclcs, 
for fear of the Lord, and for the glor}^ of liis majes- 
ty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth.'' 
In the prophet's day, men were wont to flee to 
mountain caverns and to the topa of lofty rocks, for 
safety from their pursuing foes ; and here he makes 
allusion to the fact, in order to exhibit more forci- 
bly the utter powerlessness of man, and the conster- 
nation that will torment his S(?al when God appears 

in "his strength. 

'11 
There may be in these words of the prophet an 

indirect pointing to the last day, which is described 

with great power in Revelation, when " the kings 

of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, 

and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and 

every bondman, and every freeman, hide themselves 

in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains ; and 

say to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide 

us from the face of Him that sitteth on the throne, 

and from the wrath of the Lamb." There are no 

objects in creation so strong and imposing as the 

rocks and mountains ; and for this reason they are 

besought to fall upon the suppliants, and crush them 

from the sight of avenging justice. 

When David was in deep affliction, his trusting 

heart found relief in the thought that God would 



THE ROCK OF AGES. 217 

hide him *' in his pavilion," and he exclaimed, "He 
shall set me upon a rock." He thus pointed to the 
sure foundation upon Avhich his feet would be plant- 
ed, though all other "strongholds" might be swept 
away. 

In like manner, when the Psalmist desired to ex- 
press his sincere gratitude for divine deliverance, 
and show what a source of strength Jehovah is, 
he said, "Who is a rock, save our God ?" Who is 
worthy of being denoted by this symbol but the 
great I' am ? 

These references will sufiQce to show the general 
use of this symbol in the Word of God. There is 
another class of texts in which it is employed with 
particular reference to Christ. They are as follows : 
"From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, 
when my heart is overwhelmed ; lead me to the rock 
that is higher than J." " In thee, Lord, do I put 
my trust ; for thou art my rock and my fortress." 
*' The Lord is my defence ; and my God is the rock 
of my salvation." " He only is my rock and my 
salvation ; he is my defence ; I shall not be moved." 
"Therefore, whosoever heareth these sayings of 
mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise 
man, which built his house upon a rock ; and the 
rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds 
19 



218 SYMBOLS OP CHRIST. 

blew, and beat upon that house ; and it fell not ; for 
it was founded upon a rock." " Upon this rock I 
will build my church ; and the gates of hell shall 
not prevail against it.'' "And did all drink the 
same spiritual drink ; for they drank of that spirit- 
ual rock that followed them ; and that rock was 
Christ." 

From these passages we learn that the term 
"rock," as applied to our Saviour, symbolizes a 

SHELTER, A REFUGE, A FOUNDATION, and THE SOURCE 

OF SPIRITUAL BLESSINGS. Thcsc scvcral points will 
be examined in order. 

Palestine was a mountainous country, and abound- 
ed in huge rocks, that afforded shelter to the travel- 
ler from the burning heat of a meridian sun. Allu- 
sion is made to this fact in the passage, " And a 
man shall be as a hiding-place from the wind, and 
a covert from the tempest ; as rivers of water in a 
dry place ; as the shadow of a great rock in a weary 
landy Here the reign of a righteous king is repre- 
sented as grateful to the hearts of his subjects as 
the shadow of a great rock is to the wearied trav- 
eller of the desert. Says South, " The shadow of a 
great projecting rock is the most refreshing that is 
possible in a hot country, not only as most perfectly 
excluding the rays of the sun, but also having in 



THE ROCK OF AGES. 219 

itself a natural coolness, which it reflects and com 
municates to every thing about it." Says Campbell 
speaking of the same thing, " Well does the travel 
ler remember a day in the wilds of Africa, where 
the country was chiefly covered with burning sand 
when scorched with the powerful rays of an almost 
vertical sun, the thermometer in the shade standing 
at 100°. He remembers long looking hither and 
thither for something that would afford protection 
from the almost insupportable heat, and where the 
least motion of air felt like flame coming against 
the face. At length he espied a huge^ loose rock lean- 
ing against the front of a small cliff which faced 
the sun. At once he fled for refuge underneath its 
inviting shade. The coolness emitted from this 
rocky canopy he found exquisitely exhilarating. 
The wild beasts of the desert were all fled to their 
dens, and the feathered songsters were all roosting 
among the thickest foliage they could find of the 
evergreen trees. The whole creation round seemed 
to groan, as if their vigor had been entirely ex- 
hausted. A small river was providentially at hand, 
to the side of which, after a while, he ventured, and 
sipped a little of its cooling water, which tasted 
better than the best Burgundy or the finest old hock 
in the world. During all this enjoyment, the above 



220 SYMBOLS OP CHRIST. 

apropos text was the interesting subject of the trav- 
eller's meditation ; though the allusion, as a figure, 
must fall infinitely short of that which is meant to 
be prefigured by it." 

When we turn from these historical facts to 
Christ, and think of him as " the shadow of a great 
rock in a weary land," the figure becomes striking 
and beautiful. Inspired writers represent this world 
as a moral wilderness, where sterility and desola- 
tion abound without God's blessing. The forty 
years that the children of Israel sojourned in the 
wilderness is a type of the church in this sin-blighted 
world. There is much to make it " a weary land." 
Thousands of Christian travellers can testify to the 
heart-sickening things that occur along the journey. 
Trouble, in its varied forms, oppresses .and over- 
whelms the spirit. But nowhere in the wide range 
of the universe does a shelter offer, save Jesus 
Christ. Upon this almost boundless waste of sin 
and sorrow, he is the only Hock that invites the 
weary and distressed. " Come unto me, all ye that 
labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." 
This was the only resort of David, when his soul 
pined in sadness. He said, " When my heart is 
overwhelmed, I will cry unto thee ; lead me to a 
rock that is higher than I." He would find some 



THE ROCK OF AGES. 221 

protection that was more refreshing and sure than 
mortal man can bestow. He asked for something 
" higher " and more substantial than human wisdom 
and skill can provide. He must have a mighty rock 
for his resort, as the only exhilarating shadow in 
his tiresome pilgrimage. Multitudes have felt and 
prayed as the Psalmist did. 

Go, now, and ask the Christian toiler in lands 
where moral midnight reigns, what Christ is to him 
in those hours of discouragement and sadness which 
are inevitable in a work like 'his ; go, ask the same 
of the hunted victim of persecution, whom Papal 
tyranny has driven to mountain caves ; go, put the 
question to the broken-hearted sufferer whom the 
tongue of calumny has robbed of life's best treas- 
ure, a good name ; go, inquire in like manner of the 
sad weeper who has laid life's dearest object in the 
dust, with little to comfort and cheer the heart but 
light from the eternal throne ; go to some godly 
John on the Island of Patmos — to some Peter in 
chains and in prison — to some poor Dorcas, whose 
memory is fragrant in the homes of the indigent — 
and to some Bethany sisters at the grave of a 
sainted brother — and ask them, "What think ye of 
Christ? " They reply, with one heart and voice, He 
is as " the shadow of a great rock in a weary land." 
19-^ 



222 SYMBOLS OF CHRIST. 

" Jesus, Saviour of my soul, 

Let me to thy bosom fly, 
While the raging billows roll, 

"While the tempest still is high ; 
All my trust on thee is stayed ; 

All my help from thee I bring ; 
Cover my defenceless head 

With the shadow of thy wing." 

Christ a refuge ! This has special reference to 
peril from external foes. It is not a retreat for 
rest simply ; not a place of freedom from mere 
wearisomeness ; but it is a "fortress" — a place 
of safety, where the violence of enemies does not 
reach. The following texts speak of this defence : 
" He shall dwell on high ; his place of defence shall 
be the munitions of rocks." This is said of the 
righteous man, walking in the fear of the Lord. 
He shall be as safe from moral harm as those Avho 
are protected by munitions of rocks are from phys- 
ical violence. When David realized his danger, he 
prayed, " Be thou my strong rock, for a house of 
defence to save me. For thou art my rock and my 
fortress." He frequently broke forth in these words : 
'• Thou art my rock and my fortress." At another 
time he exclaimed, "In God is my salvation and my 
glory : the rock of my strength and my refuge is in 
God." In such language, Christ, as the " defence " 



THE EOCK OF AGES. 223 

and " refuge " of his people, is presented to us ; and 
when we connect with these passages certain facts 
recorded in the Scriptures, the symbol becomes 
more striking. The rocks of Eastern countries 
formed a part of their strength. In times of dan- 
ger the people retired to them for safety. In the 
Book of Judges we are informed that when the 
Benjamites were well nigh destroyed by the Israel- 
ites of the other tribes, they retired to the rock 
Rimmon, where they were secure. David frequently 
resorted to famous rocks for security, when pursued 
by Saul ; as at Maon, Adullam, and Engedi. To 
the latter place he retreated with his people when 
his cruel and relentless enemy sought to destroy 
them elsewhere ; and there they were safe. 

Hence a rock is an appropriate symbol of strength 
and safety ; one more fit could not be selected. And 
where is the Christian's safe retreat, but in Christ ? 
What a mighty defence is that against which the 
rage of Satan and a wicked world have vainly 
striven ! If Christ be for him, who can be against 
him ? The wise man said, " The name of the Lord 
is a strong tower ; the righteous runneth into . it, 
and is safe." Often, very often, have those who 
were fighting the battles of the Lord tested the 
strength of this refuge by fleeing to "it. They have 



224 SYMBOLS OP CHRIST. 

found the promise sure, " Whoso trusteth in the 
Lord shall be safe." Enemies may kill the body ; 
but they cannot kill the soul. Christ is a perfectly 
safe refuge from all moral harm ; and there are 
many instances of triumph on record, which seem 
to indicate that trust in Christ brings even phys- 
ical defence. See Martin Luther in the midst of 
dangers that seemed to render escape from death 
impossible. Emperors, cardinals, priests, and popes 
combined to silence his voice and stop his pen ; but 
their efforts only served to stir him up to more de- 
fiant measures. Many of his own friends besought 
him to yield to the claims of his enemies, believing 
that certain death awaited him if he did not : but 
his reply ever was, " I do not refuse to die if it be 
God's will. Take my life, but I must stand by the 
truth." At one time, when his destruction appeared 
to be sure, he said, '' What is about to happen I 
know not, nor do I care to know, assured as I am 
that He who sits on the throne of heaven has from 
all eternity foreseen the beginning, the progress, 
and the end of this affair. Let the blow fall where 
it may, I am without fear. Not so much as a leaf 
falls without the will of our Father. How much 
rather will he care for us ! " At anotlier critical 
moment, he took a defiant stand before his enemies, 



THE ROCK OP AGES. 225 

and said, " I, Martin Luther, an unworthy evangelist 
of our Lord Jesus Christ, do confess this article, 
that faith alone, without works, justifies in the sight 
of God ; and I declare, that in spite of the Emperor 
of the Turks, the Emperor of the Tartars, the Em- 
peror of the Persians, the Pope, all the cardinals, 
bishops, priests, monks, nuns, kings, princes, nobles, 
all the world, and all the devils, it shall stand un- 
shaken forever ! that if they persist in opposing this 
truth, they will draw upon their heads the flames 
of hell." It seems almost strange that he was not 
cut down in the most summary manner ; but he was 
not, as the church well knows, to her exceeding joy. 
Whether he found Christ a " refuge " and " fortress," 
in those perilous times, may be learned from the fol- 
lowing supplication which he offered to God through 
Christ. " 0, the weakness of the flesh, and the 
power of Satan ! If I am to depend upon any 
strength of this world, all is over. * * The knell 
is struck. * * Sentence is gone forth. * * 

God ! God ! thou my God ! help me against 
all the wisdom of this world. * * The work is 
not mine, but thine. I have no business here. * * 

1 have nothing to contend for with these great men 
of the world. I would gladly pass my days in 
happiness and peace. But the cause is thine. * * 



226 SYMBOLS OF CHRIST. 

Lord, help me. * -^ I lean not upon man. It 
were vain. Whatever is of man is tottering ; what- 
ever proceeds from him must fail. My God ! my 
God ! dost not thou hear ? ^' ^" Forsake me not, 
for the sake of thy well-beloved Son Jesus Christ, 
my defence, my buckler, and my stronghold.''' 

Here is found the secret of his strength. Such a 
case, with its victorious issues, indicates tliat phys- 
ical protection is sometimes vouchsafed to those who 
make Christ their " refuge." It is certain that a 
soul reposing with such confidence in Christ is ex- 
empted from mord harm. How calm and peaceful 
was the great reformer in comparison with the 
agitation and tumult around him ! How safely his 
spirit passed through the corruption of that age ! 
What a tower of strength was the Saviour to him I 
What a " refuge " in time of trouble ! 

Christ a Foundation. " Therefore whosoever 
heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I 
will liken him unto a wise man, which built his 
house upon a rock : and the rain descended, and the 
floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that 
house ; and it fell not : for it was founded upon a 
rock." Here is presented, by a parable, the founda- 
tion of the individual believer's hope. To the Jew 
this must have been a striking comparison. For 



THE ROCK OF AGES. 227 

the streams that ran among the hills of Palestine, 
though dry during some portions of the year, were 
swollen by sudden and violent rains at other times, 
so that they rushed along their stony beds, sweeping 
away every object in their course, save the rocks 
that lifted their heads in proud defiance to the ele- 
ments. Even houses that stood within reach of the 
swollen and overflowing streams were frequently 
borne away, and dashed in pieces. For this reason, 
the wise builder of a house in that country sought 
a rock for a strong foundation. When the Saviour 
uttered these words, his hearers could recall, prob- 
ably, numerous illustrations of wise and foolish 
builders, from their own experience and observation ; 
and this circumstance must have contributed to the 
force of the parable, as their attention was directed 
to Christ, the foundation of the believer's hope. 

Again, Christ said to Peter, "And I say also 
unto thee, That thou art Peter ; and upon this rock 
I will build my church ; and the gates of hell shall 
not prevail against it." Here we have presented 
the foundation of the church — the entire visible 
body of believers. This passage has caused some 
discussion as to its correct interpretation ; but that 
view of it which makes the term " rock " refer to 
Christ is alone consistent with other references in 



228 SYMBOLS OF CHRIST. 

the Bible. The gates of hell will not prevail against 
it, because it is founded " upon this rock/' which is 
Christ. " Other foundation can no man lay than 
that is laid, which is Jesus Christ." 

These texts present Christ as a strong, immovable, 
and everlasting foundation of hope. All things 
else are but " hay and stubble." A rock is one of 
the most appropriate of all material objects to sym- 
bolize this idea. It is the most suitable and endur- 
ing of all foundations, so that it has been sought 
for this purpose in all ages. Men have tried other 
materials, but they have failed them in the hour of 
calamity ; just as other grounds of hope than Jesus 
have failed the sinner when the floods of death have 
rolled over him. 

The grounds of hope for the future are various 
among mankind. One sect has one foundation, and 
another sect has a different one. Here one gathers 
together his own materials, and builds upon his own 
good works ; and it , appears well in the hour of 
prosperity ; but when the winds of adversity blow, 
and darkness covers his path, he finds that he has 
built upon the sand. How many have shared in 
this bitter experience when it was too late to repair 
the evil ! Death beds have borne appalling witness 
to this delusion. The dying words of thousands 



THE EOCK OF AGES. 229 

have proclaimod more loudly than even the voice of 
revelation, "Other foundation can no man lay 
than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ." Said one 
at the door of death, " I thought I was safe ; but 
the foundation of my hope is swept away. 0, 
strange delusion, that has destroyed my soul ! " 
Others have given utterance to language no less 
startling. 

What a lesson is the past history of the church in 
regard to this foundation ! It verifies the words of 
the prophet, " Behold, I lay in Zion, for a foundation, 
a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure 
foundationJ' Through all the storms of persecution 
that have swept over the earth for more than eigh- 
teen centuries, this rock has stood secure and un- 
shaken. Other systems of religion have passed 
away, and are forgotten ; but Christianity stands as 
firmly to-day as it did when the angels sang " Peace 
on earth " over the plains of Bethlehem. This is 
evidence to all believers that it is founded upon a 
rock. 

And, with the glass of prophecy, we anticipate 
as much in time to come. The foundation is not 
only a rock, but it is the " Rock of Ages," as Isaiah 
denominates it. It will endure when material things 
pass away " with a great noise." It is this which 
20 



230 SYMBOLS OF CHRIST. 

makes it " precious " to mortals desiring to build 
for eternity. If it did not promise to last beyond 
the tomb, it would be of comparatively little value. 
For there it is most needed. Surely the true fol- 
lower of Christ may sing, — 

" On the Rock of Ages founded, 

What can shake thy sure repose ? 
With salvation's wall surrounded, 
Thou mayst smile at all thy foes." 

Christ the Source of Spiritual Blessings. This 
thought is communicated in the words, " And did 
all drink the same spiritual drink ; for they drank 
of that spiritual Rock that followed them ; and that 
Rock was Christ." The rock from which the Is- 
raelites were supplied with water in the wilderness 
was typical of Christ, and the apostle refers to the 
fact in the text just quoted. As the children of Is- 
rael were refreshed and strengthened by that unex- 
pected supply, when they were faint and weary, so 
are Christians revived and made strong by living 
water from Christ. 

There is a painting of Moses smiting the rock in 
the desert, which represents both old and young 
pressing around with great eagerness to taste of 
the coveted beverage. Parents are earnest to bear 



THE ROCK OF AGES. 231 

tlieir children to the fissures streaming with the 
crystal liquid, and children equally solicitous to 
impart it to their parents. Some are hastening to 
bear it to the lame and sick. Others are assisting 
the infirm to reach the smitten rock. Some are 
falling upon their knees to drink, while many are 
crowding through the multitude to get their supply. 
The whole scene is one of joy and inexpressible in- 
terest. Some kind of emotion is depicted upon 
every countenance, as it comes bursting from each 
heart. You can read in the faces of the company 
that health, happiness, and life itself depend upon 
drinking of that miraculous supply. 

Is not here a true symbol of Christ ? How eager 
are the thousands, who realize their spiritual wants, 
to taste of Him ! High or low, rich or poor, bond 
or free, old or young, they desire to drink and live. 
Parents are solicitous for their children, and chil- 
dren for their parents. Friend intercedes for friend, 
and even stranger for stranger. The well seek for 
the weak and feeble ; and others go to the source 
of blessing for themselves alone. All seem to feel 
that " they must drink or die.'' Therefore they are 
earnest and sincere. Yet the scene in this regard 
is not what it ought to be. As there was not one 
among the Israelites who refused to drink of the 



232 SYMBOLS OP CHRIST. 

water that gushed from the rock, so there ought not 
to be one to turn away from the fountain of living 
water in Christ. Alas for the multitudes who 
thirst, but never drink I 

In Christ is all the fulness of God. Every want 
is satisfied by his grace. No sincere follower of 
his ever went away empty. Millions have heeded 
his gracious invitation. "Ho, every one that thirst- 
eth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no 
money ; come ye, buy and eat ; yea, come, buy wine 
and milk without money and without price ; " and 
still there is enough for millions more. From this 
hour to the day of eternal retribution, the whole 
hungering and thirsting race might satisfy the de- 
sires of their immortal natures without exhausting 
the fulness of this blessing. 

What encouragement is here for the true believer ! 
His chief solicitude is for " a sure foundation." He 
is anxious that his hope may endure not only when 
his pathway is light, but also when it is dark and 
fearful. When the children of Israel were dis- 
heartened under their trying experience, and they 
were almost ready to sink in despair, we read, 
" They remembered that God was their Rock, and 
the high God their Redeemer." The thought was 
enough to chase away the fears and darkness of 



THE ROCK OP AGES. 233 

tlieir minds, and inspire tliem with new hope and 
courage. Deprive the man of God of this one de- 
lightful assurance, and his hope loses its charm and 
power. Amid so much that is changeful and uncer- 
tain, he needs to feel that something is immovable 
and indestructible. With the cries of disappoint- 
ment and hopeless despair falling upon his ear from 
the throng that behold their expectations perish, he 
wants to feel that his feet are planted upon solid 
rock. And here, trusting in Jesus, he can have this 
unspeakable satisfaction. Whatever else will dis- 
appoint and perish, Christ remains to bless and save 
— the believer's hope — " All and in All." 

There are those who have never attempted to 
build upon this rock. Let me say to them, Build 
with a reference to a day of trial. A foundation 
that will stand in a calm may be swept away in a 
storm. A hope that will endure in health and life 
may be worthless in sickness and death. Build, 
then, for the day of adversity that will surely come. 
You would have the foundation of your earthly 
dwelling strong enough to endure when the wildest 
tempest rages. You would have the ship construct- 
ed to weather the fiercest gale. Be as wise for your 
soul, and the day of everlasting retribution. 

Near the Island of Great Britain, at the distance 
20* 



234 SYMBOLS OP CHRIST. 

of some miles from the shore, stands the famed Ed- 
dystone Lighthouse, to warn the mariner of the 
dangers that lurk, beneath the waves. Nearly a 
hundred years ago that noble structure was reared 
upon a solid rock. It is a lofty column of heavy ma- 
sonry, towering many feet above the highest billows, 
to defy the fury of the angriest storm. When the 
architect began to rear the structure, many laughed 
at the work as visionary and foolish ; and they said 
that the first violent gale, such as had often visited 
that coast, would tottle it down, and bury it in the 
sea. But the architect was not discouraged. For 
three years he toiled away at the work, until he laid 
the top stone amid great rejoicings, Still it was 
predicted that such a storm as visited those shores 
in 1703 would not leave a vestige of it behind. 
Within three years another such tempest did arise, 
and the people expected that the lighthouse would 
be demolished. Anxiously and tremblingly they 
waited through the boisterous night, and, as early 
as the morning light would admit of their looking 
through telescopes, many were seen gazing in the 
direction of that massive column. But instead of 
beholding it in ruins, there it stood in its silent and 
imposing grandeur, with the storm and angry sea 
wearied and exhausted at its base. And for nearly 



THE EOCK OF AGES. 235 

a century it lias continued to stand and mock the 
fury of the raging elements ; for it is founded upon 
a rock. That lighthouse was built for such a time, 
or it would have fallen at the first bursting of the 
gale. 

A hope that is founded on Jesus Christ — " The 
Rock op Ages " — and that alone, will stand in the 
day of the righteous revelation of God. That day 
will come as a thief in the night ; and he alone who 
can say, " Lord, thou art the Rock of my salvation," 
will endure. 



XI. 

THE HEAVENLY KING. 

" And the Lord shall be King over all the earth.'* 

Be ours, O King of mercy, still 
To feel thy presence from above, 

And in thy word, and in thy will, 

To hear thy voice and know thy love ; — 

And when the toils of life are done. 
And nature waits thy dread decree, 

To find our rest beneath thy throne, 

And look in humble hope to thee. Heber. 

We have seen the Saviour iu some of the more 
lowly relations of his life. We are now to view him 
as King. There may seem, to the superficial obser- 
ver, a wide distance between a shepherd and a king. 
But we are to remember the high estimation in 
which the former of&ce was held by the Jews, and 
also that the latter is to be regarded in a spiritual 
sense. With our modern notions of a shepherd's 
life, there is, indeed, a great difference between the 
two offices named. A king stands, in the view of 

(236) 



THE HEAVENLY KING. 237 

mankind generally, far above most earthly potentates 
in renown and power. He is surrounded with the 
various insignia of royalty, imposing as human inven- 
tion and exhaustless wealth can make them. He 
lives and moves amid worldly splendors that dazzle 
the eye to behold. Such display is ever associated 
with the throne of a king. Hence it was that the 
Jews, anticipating the coming Messiah, looked for a 
king whose appearance and reign would outshine all 
former precedents. But Christ reigns without these 
princely honors of a worldly nature. He is divested 
of all these imposing distinctions, because his reign 
is spiritual. Viewing him in this light, the passage 
is quite easy from the humblest relation in which we 
have seen the Saviour to that of King of kings. 

The following texts speak of Christ in this rela- 
tion : " Yet have I set my King upon my holy hill 
of Zion." " Rejoice greatly, daughter of Zion ; 
shout, daughter of Jerusalem : behold, thy King 
cometh unto thee." The prophet Isaiah exclaimed, 
" Mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of Hosts." 
It is recorded that " Jesus stood before the govern- 
or ; and the governor asked him, saying. Art thou 
the King of the Jews ? And Jesus said unto him, 
Thou sayest." Also, "Nathanael answered and 
saith unto him, Rabbi, thou ai t the Son of God ; 



238 SYMBOLS 'OF CHRIST. 

thou art the King of Israel." In Eevelation it is 
said, " Jesus Christ, who is the faithful Witness, and 
the First-begotten of the dead, and the Prince of the 
kings of the earth." 

Here, then, is an important office in which we are 
to view Christ. The symbol suggests the following 
points of consideration : His Kingdom, Sceptre, Pal- 
ace, and Crown. 

His Kingdom. A king possesses a kingdom over 
which he presides. This is implied in his office. The 
same is true of Christ. He has a kingdom inherited 
from the " foundations of the world." It is his to 
possess and control. Its spiritual nature we have 
considered in another place, so that we may pass to 
a consideration of other points. 

The great design of human laws is to protect men 
in their inalienable rights — " life, liberty, and the 
pursuit of happiness." For this purpose a compli- 
cated civil machinery is necessary, consisting of le- 
gislative assemblies, public officers, and statutes, all 
harmonized to secure the aforesaid object. But the 
laws of Christ's kingdom have no such object in 
view. A "citizen of Zion" cannot claim protection 
for property, liberty, or life. Emergencies may arise 
when all of these must be sacrificed for the good of 
the kingdom and the glory of the king. We have 



THE HEAVENLY KING. 239 

only to recall what Christians have been compelled 
to suffer in past days for the truth's sake, to be im- 
pressed with the foregoing statement. Think of the 
thousands who have sacrificed, not only property 
and freedom, but life itself, for the Redeemer. Long 
chapters of human history are written with the 
blood of martyrs, and dreary dungeons and prisons 
are filled with their bones. The record of the 
apostles' lives has been reproduced, in substance, 
many times since their day. Multitudes have " had 
trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, more- 
over of bonds and imprisonments. They were 
stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were 
slain with the sword ; they wandered about iu 
sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, 
tormented." The language of Paul concerning him- 
self has been uttered by many suffering ones since 
he ascended on high : " In labors more abundant, 
in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, 
in deaths oft ; in journeyings often, in perils of 
waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own 
countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the 
city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, 
in perils among false brethren ; in weariness and 
pain fulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, 
in fastings often, in cold and nakedness." And yet 



240 SYMBOLS OF CHRIST, 

there was no law of the Saviour's kingdom to wh/.ch 
they could appeal for protection. They were the 
voluntary subjects of a government which gives 
no pledges of physical defence. Even the great 
Founder and Ruler of this kingdom himself became 
a prisoner and suffered death for the glory of re- 
demption. 

Human legislators can do no more than adapt 
their laws as nearly as possible to what is right and 
just, considering, at tlie same time, the circumstances 
and wants of those for whom they are designed. 
Aiming at this object, how widely different have 
been the laws of legislative assemblies! But tha 
laws of Christ are the same for every people and 
for every land. For he possesses power, after he 
has enacted the law, to conform the moral natures 
of his subjects to it. Having expressed his will, he 
can execute it in the human conscience and heart. 
So that one law and one faith are sufficient for the 
world. 

How unchangeable, too, are these spiritual laws ! 
Hum&.u statutes are continually changing. The 
enactments of to-day differ widely from those of a 
century ago. Our most important and accessary 
laws have become thus perfect after repeated alter- 
ations. Two thirds of the /ime of legislative bodies 



THE HEAVENLY KING. 241 

is spent in amendments and repeals. But tlie laws 
of Christ's kingdom never change. They are the 
same now as in the beginning. They will be the 
same till time shall end. Earthly governments will 
flourish, and pass to the grave of oblivion ; but these 
divine statutes will remain, founded upon the immu- 
tability of their author and the changeless constitu- 
tion of man. 

Coercion is a prominent characteristic of earthly 
governments. Even for many of the duties of benev- 
olence, citizens are taxed. But the voluntary prin^ 
ciple distinguishes the spiritual kingdom of which 
we are speaking. The king delights only in " free 
will offerings." Whatever is laid at his feet must 
be the gift of loving, grateful hearts. This is the 
highest development of renewed human nature. 
There is nothing more pleasant to behold than the 
willing mind and cheerful heart in the discharge of 
life's great duties. This feature of the Christian 
state invests it with loveliness. 

No renowned bulwarks or fortifications are 
counted among the defences of this kingdom. No 
frowning Sevastopol bids defiance to the threatening 
enemies of God. No tried bastion fills assailants 
with discouragement. No mighty Gibraltar laughs 
at their puny assaults. No armed hosts, panoplied 
21 



242 SYMBOLS OP CHRIST. 

in glittering steel, move on to conquest. No tramp 
of war, or sound of booming cannon, is heard 
throughout this spiritual empire. No smoke, or fire, 
or " garments rolled in blood," proclaim aggression. 
The battle-cry and shriek of agony are unheard 
from "centre to circumference" of this sacred 
domain. "Peace on earth, good will to men," is 
the proclamation that angel messengers of God bear 
far and wide. Hence, love is the weapon, and holi- 
ness the armor and defence, of " God's elect." 

A writer * speaks of other features of this king- 
dom as follows : "The court of an earthly state is 
the rendezvous of its pomp, the focus of its splendor ; 
a spectacle which the eyes of its people never weary 
to behold. His [Christ^ court is invisible ; and, 
though he comes to give audience to his people, and 
to receive their petitions, his presence is unseen — the 
object of their faith. Under the dominion of earthly 
princes, a graduated scale is applied to society, 
dividing it into ranks, and assigning to each its ap- 
propriate elevation and distinction ; under the 
administration of the gospel kingdom, said Christ, 
it " shall not be so ; but he that is greatest among 
you, let him be as the younger ; and he that is chief, 
as he that doth serve.' * For one is your Master, 

* Dr. Harris. 



THE HEAVENLY KING. 243 

even Christ, and all ye are brethren.' Under the 
former, society is a cone, the high places of which 
are occupied by those who, in proportion to their 
elevation, speak with authority to the circles below 
them ; under the latter, society is a plane, on which 
all artificial distinctions are levelled and lost ; the 
rich descending from their elevated station, the poor 
emerging from their obscure retreats, and both de- 
positing their respective badges, they are enrolled 
in his kingdom by one common appellation, enter 
his presence and encircle his throne on the same low 
basement. Whatever their distinctions as the sub- 
jects of earthly princes, as the subjects of his empire, 
their wants, and obligations, and destiny exactly 
coincide, and place thera on a perfect equality, while 
the only scope they have for emulation is a contest 
of humility, devotedness, and love — a race of holi- 
ness ; and to the splendor of holiness, being an order 
of splendor by itself, no earthly distinction can add 
a ray of lustre." 

Next consider his Sceptre. A sceptre is an em- 
blem of sovereign power supposed to be swayed by 
kings. Reference is made to it in the following 
texts. When Esther, the queen, appeared before 
Ahasuerus in behalf of her doomed people, we read 
that " the king held out the golden sceptre towards 



244 SYMBOLS OP CHRIST. 

Esther. So Esther arose and stood before the 
king." The monarch possessed such absolute power 
that even his own queen could not stand in his 
presence without a signal by that symbol of power. 
When Isaiah spoke of the discomfiture of the regal 
enemies of Israel, he said, " The Lord hath broken 
the staff of the wicked, and the Sceptre of the 
rulers." The breaking of a sceptre is synonymous 
with defeat or overthrow. 

The reign of Christ was foretold in these words : 
" The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a 
lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh (Mes- 
siah) come ; and unto him shall the gathering of the 
people be." 

In the forty fifth Psalm we have an impressive 
description of Christ as the expected King. " Gird 
thy sword upon thy thigh, most mighty, with thy 
glory and thy majesty. And in thy majesty ride pros- 
perously because of truth, and meekness, and right- 
eousness ; and thy right hand shall teach thee terri- 
ble things. Thine arrows are sharp in the heart of 
the king's enemies, whereby the people fall under 
thee. Thy throne, God, is forever and ever ; the 
Sceptre of thy kingdom is a right sceptre." That 
these words are the language of prophecy, pointing 
to Christ, is evident from the fact that Paul quotes 



THE HEAVENLY KING. 245 

the last passage in his letter to the Hebrews, and 
decides its application by saying, "But unto the 
Son he saith, Thy throne, God, is forever and 
ever ; a Sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of 
thy kingdom." Says Barnes, " The writer imagined 
to himself a magnificent and beautiful prince — a 
prince riding prosperously in his conquests, sway- 
ing a permanent and wide dominion, clothed in rich 
and splendid vestments, eminently upright and pure, 
and scattering blessings every where ; and that 
prince was the Messiah. The Psalm, therefore, I 
regard as relating originally and exclusively to 
Christ, and though, in the interpretation, the circum- 
stances should not be unduly pressed, nor an attempt 
be made to spiritualize them, yet the whole is a glow- 
ing and most beautiful description of Christ as a 
King." 

The sceptre, then, symbolizes the sovereign reign 
of Christ. His dominion is higher and larger than 
any other dominion. His will is supreme law with 
his subjects. There is no alternative remaining to 
them, when they know his will, but to obey. No 
doubt, no question of expediency or privilege, can 
be raised. For this is rebellion to the great Ruler. 
It is arraying the human against the divine will. It 
21* 



246 SYMBOLS OF CHRIST. 

is incipient insurrection under the government ot 
our Lord. 

How clearly, then, does the kingship of Christ 
exalt the higher above the lower law ! Human 
statutes must not conflict with the divine. The 
Christian is a citizen of Christ's kingdom, with re- 
sponsibilities and duties relating thereto that are 
paramount to all others. If his obligations to hu- 
man governments do not conflict with his duties to 
Christ, it is well. Then he may conduct faithfully 
in both relations, and please both the earthly and the 
heavenly king. But when such a conflict arises, he 
becomes rebellious to Christ, if he allows the claims 
of the lower to supersede those of the higher law. 
Our heavenly King breaks the sceptre of those 
rulers who encroach upon his kingdom. He rules 
them with a rod of iron, and dashes them in pieces 
like a potter's vessel. It is the only way to main- 
tain his sovereignty. Let human interests override 
the most unimportant of his laws with impunity, 
and his dominion is not absolute. His authority is 
limited, and the honor and glory of his reign de- 
part. This idea is alone reconcilable with such 
words of inspiration as these : " He shall have do- 
minion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto 
the ends of the earth. They that dwell in the wil- 



THE HEAVENLY KING. 247 

derness shall bow before him ; and his enemies shall 
lick the dust. The kings of Tarshish and of the 
isles shall bring presents ; the kings of Sheba and 
Seba shall offer gifts. Yea, all kings shall fall 
down before him ; all nations shall serve him." 
The great apostle takes up this animating thought, 
and says, " God also hath exalted him, and given 
him a name which is above every name ; that at 
the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things 
in heaven, and things in the earth, and things under 
the earth ; and that every tongue should confess 
that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the 
Father." How can these words be verij&ed in Christ 
unless his kingdom shall claim the precedence over 
all other kingdoms ? How will his enemies " lick 
the dust," if they command the obedience of his 
subjects in a single particular that compromises the. 
truth? There is no such thing as the sovereign 
rule of Christ, unless he puts opposing earthly 
governments under his feet. It circumscribes his 
authority and dominion to allow the smallest en- 
croachment upon his empire. His subjects have no 
right to yield one iota at this point. They are un- 
faithful and disloyal if they do. 

Earthly kings seek empire. It has ever been a 
struggle with the monarchs of the earth to enlarge 



248 SYMBOLS OP CHRIST. 

their borders. The old world is now rocking with 
the convulsions of war, waged for the acquisition 
of* territory. Rivers of human blood are poured 
out to glut this insatiate thirst for power. It is un- 
bridled and unholy ambition that impels the rulers 
of earth to increase their domains. But Christ 
seeks the empire of the world for another purpose. 
He is moving on from conquest to conquest for the 
sake of renewing and saving the lost race. He 
plainly asserts that he will subjugate the world to 
himself, and hold universal sway, but only to scatter 
the blessings of peace and salvation. 

" Jesus shall reign where'er the sun 
Doth his successive journeys run ; 
His kingdom stretch from shore to shore, 
Till moons shall wax and wane no more.** 

The Scriptures express a thought in this connec- 
tion which deserves notice. The human heart is 
spoken of as a kingdom for the reign of Christ. 
Its sinful appetites and passions are so many belli- 
gerent subjects whom Christ commands to obey. 
When he occupies its throne, and sways the sceptre 
of his moral power, peace, love, and joy abound. 
Every sinful propensity is held in willing subjection. 
The perverse will, otherwise openly rebellious, yields 



THE HEAVENLY KING. 249 

to the supreme authority of its divine King. It 
claims no superiority over the enlightened con- 
science, which the Saviour employs as a minister of 
justice and right. This is the only way to promote 
the purity and happiness of the inner man. A com- 
plete surrender of the whole moral being to the 
control of Christ is indispensable to spiritual pros- 
perity and happiness. When the subjects of an 
earthly ruler have implicit confidence in his charac- 
ter and government, the best and only way to secure 
the largest amount of happiness to themselves, and 
the most coveted stability to their government, is to 
allow him to reign with undisputed authority. In 
like manner, the heart must yield to Christ. He is 
worthy to maintain absolute control of its immortal 
interests, and comprehends better than the proudest 
intellect what are its wants and destiny. Complete 
submission to his authority alone will bring the joys 
of immortality. 

The King's palace deserves to be briefly noticed. 
Kings dwell in palaces, enriched and beautified by 
every embellishment of wealth and art. Perhaps 
human ingenuity was never taxed more severely, or 
earthly treasures lavished more profusely, than they 
have been for the decoration of royal abodes. Ac- 
curate descriptions of some of these examples of 



250 . SYMBOLS OP CHRIST. 

regal splendor seem more like the pictures of in 
flated fancy than living realities. 

The palace which Louis XIV. caused- to be erected 
at Versailles cost the almost incredible sum of two 
hundred millions of dollars. More than thirty 
thousand laborers were employed for a long time 
upon the work. The principal palace occupied the 
centre of a park whose circuit measured sixty miles. 
The grounds were adorned with every thing that 
taste could desire, or art invent. Artificial foun- 
tains, cascades, and lakes contributed to the beauty 
of embowering shades. Groves, lawns, and forests 
were laid out with consummate skill, and appeared 
in all the attractions of natural scenery. Even 
huge rocks were constructed of cement, and piled 
one upon another, to contribute to the naturalness 
and grandeur of the scene. The chief palace con- 
tained five hundred spacious apartments, each one 
of which bewildered the visitor with its magnifi- 
cence. The king's suit of rooms was encrusted 
with polished marble, and rendered fairy-like with 
the nicest productions of the pencil and chisel. 
The queen's apartments were draped in the purest 
white, sparkling with gems and glittering with gold. 
Indeed, the interior of the entire palace dazzled the 
beholder with its profusion of gold and precious 



THE HEAVENLY KING. 251 

stones. It seems as if the ambitious king sought to 
vie with the grandeur of ancient Babylon, whose 
ill-fated history is recorded by the pen of inspira- 
tion. And it was done to gratify the pride of life. 
No thought of good to dependent subjects, no re- 
spect for virtue or God, no desire to bless and save 
the poor, caused such royal buildings to be reared. 

The symbol under consideration is applicable to 
Christ in respect to his abode. The Psalmist, speak- 
ing of him in the language of prophecy, said, " With 
gladness and rejoicing shall they be brought ; they 
shall enter into the King's palace." Where and 
what is that palace ? It is alluded to by the apostle 
when he said, in the language of victorious faith, 
" For we know that if our earthly house of this^iab- 
ernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, 
a house not made with hands, eternal in the heav- 
ens." Thither Christ ascended " to prepare a place," 
not only for himself, but for his disciples. It is an 
abode of such unparalleled magnificence that John 
employs the most costly of earthly treasures to 
symbolize its glory. He says its " light was like 
unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, 
clear as crystal ; and had a wall great and high, 
and had twelve gates, and names written thereon, 
which are the names of the twelve tribes of the 



252 SYMBOLS OF CHRIST. 

children of Israel ; on the east three gates, on the 
north three gates, on the south three gates, and 
on the west three gates. And the wall had twelve 
foundations, and in them the names of the twelve 
apostles of the Lamb. And the foundations were 
garnished with all manner of precious stones. The 
first foundation was jasper ; the second, sapphire ; 
the third, a chalcedony ; the fourth, an emerald ; 
the fifth, sardonyx ; the sixth, sardius ; the seventh, 
chrysolite ; the eighth, beryl ; the ninth, a topaz ; 
the tenth, a chrysoprasus ; the eleventh, a jacinth ; 
the twelfth, an amethyst. And the twelve gates 
were twelve pearls ; every several gate was of one 
pearl ; and the street of the city was pure gold, as 
it w«re transparent glass." 

This figurative language is employed to describe 
the palace of our heavenly King, in order to assist 
our conceptions of its transcendent beauty. Yet, 
even with this emblem, we can only approximate to 
a correct idea of its glowing realities. " Eye hath 
not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into 
the heart of man, the things which God hath pre- 
pared for them that love him." We may stop and 
wonder at the splendor of this celestial court ; but 
we shall never fully appreciate its glories until we 
enter its "many mansions." 



THE HEAVENLY KING. 253 

How benevolent the motives of our King in fit- 
ting up this everlasting habitation ! " I go to pre- 
pare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a 
place for you, I will come again, and receive you 
unto myself ; that where I am there ye may be also." 
It was not for himself alone, as the heir of the king- 
dom, that he reared the heavenly temple. His eye 
rested upon the sons and daughters of humanity in 
their moral degradation ; and for them, also, he 
laid the foundations of that blest abode. He de- 
sired to see them, when removed from the hovels of 
earth, enter his palace of rest and innocence. Each 
one of his followers, anticipating the inheritance 
through a lively faith, may sing, — 

" Jerusalem ! my glorious home ! 

Name ever dear to me ! 
When shall my labors have an end, 

In joy and peace, in thee ! 

" 0, when, thou city of my God, 

Shall I thy courts ascend, 
Where congregations ne'er break up, 

And Sabbaths have no end ? " 

It remains to consider briefly the King's crown. 
A crown is the emblem of honor and dignity. 
Hence it is worn by princes, as an indispensable dis- 

22 



254 SYMBOLS OF CHRIST. 

tinction. This adornment is one of the most costly 
parts of a king's apparel. It is usually set with the 
most valuable brilliants, whose dazzling light blends 
with the glitter of gold that constitutes no small 
part of its material. The Winter Palace of Russia 
contains a magnificent " diamond room," where the 
crowns and jewels of the imperial family are depos- 
ited. " The crown of the emperor is adorned with 
a chaplet of oak leaves made of diamonds of an 
extraordinary size ; and the imperial sceptre con- 
tains one, with a single exception, the largest in the 
world, being the celebrated stone purchased by 
Catharine II. from a Greek slave, for four hundred 
and fifty thousand roubles and a large pension for 
life." 

The Scriptures often employ the crown for the 
purpose of conveying important moral truths. Thus 
Paul addressed the Philippians, whom he had 
brought to Christ, with the words, " my joy and 
CROWN." They were the great ornament of his min- 
isterial character. Also, alluding to those who 
contended for laurels in the Grecian games, he said, 
" Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown ; 
but we an incorruptible." That is, the Grecian 
wrestlers sought a perishable wreath of fame ; but 
the Christian strives for honors " undefiled, and that 



THE HEAVENLY KING. 255 

fadeth not away." And when he was " ready to be 
offered," after finishing his course, he exclaimed, 
" Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of 
EiGHTEOUSNESS, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, 
shall give me at that day." This is the reward that 
is promised to the righteous in Revelation : " Be 
thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a 

CROWN OF LIFE." 

Paul said to the Hebrews, " We see Jesus, who 
was made a little lower than the angels for the suf- 
fering of death, crowned with glory and honor." 
And John, in his enrapturing vision, saw Jesus with 
this symbol of dignity on his head. He describes 
him thus : " And I looked, and behold a white 
cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son 
of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in 
his hand a sharp sickle." 

Notice the treasures in his crown. "And they 
shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day 
when I make up my jewels." And who are " they " 
but his blood-bought children ? Precious souls, 
washed and made white in the blood of the Lamb, 
will shine as jewels in that royal diadem. These 
are the only gems that the Saviour will wear in his 
crown of gold. These will distinguish him, in the 
presence of the Father, as the King of kings and 



256 SYMBOLS OF CHRIST. 

Lord of lords. No other badge of his glorious mis- 
sion to this world of sin and death will be necessary 
when the end shall come. 

Pleasing thought to the pure in heart I Beneath 
the garb of sullied humanity, each one of this class 
carries a treasure that will make him rich forever 
in the skies. It is the only wealth that he can bear 
to paradise. It is all that he can contribute to 
crown Jesus there Lord of all. And is not this 
enough ? What more would an heir of immortality 
do ? What else would he become ? An ornament 
and honor to Christ in heaven ! A crown jewel to 
the great King ! This thought, and this alone, at- 
taches importance to fallen man. Divest the future 
world of this privilege and joy, and faith droops, 
and hope expires. A cloud settles down upon the 
brightness of the " Better Land." Death becomes 
terrible ; and the grave is dark as midnight. But 
thanks that such a doom is not ours ! Every ran- 
somed soul will shine to the honor of Christ, wlien 
his enemies are wailing in despair. 

There is a land like Eden fair, 

But more than Eden blest; 
The wicked cease from troubling there, 

The weary are at rest. 



THE HEAVENLY KING. 257 

There is a land of calmest shore, 

Where ceaseless summers smile, 
And winds, like angel whispers, pour 

Across the shining isle. 

There is a land where starlike shine 

The pearls of Christ's renown ; 
And gems, long buried in the mine, 

Are jewels in his crown. Coxb. 

22* 



XII. 

THE SPIRITUAL REFINER. 

" He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver." 

The rugged metal of the mine 
Must burn before its surface shine ; 
But, plunged within the furnace flame, 
It bends and melts, though still the same. 

Byroh 

The air is full of farewells to the dying 

And mournings for the dead ; 
The heart of Rachel, for her children crying, 

Will not be comforted. 

Let us be patient ; these severe afflictions 

Not from the ground arise ; 
But oftentimes celestial benedictions 

Assume this dark disguise. Longfellow. 

Gold and silver are refined in the following 
manner : They are taken in their native state, and 
broken into small fragments, or reduced to powder. 
In this form they are placed in a crucible, with some 
foreign substance as a solvent, and melted in a fire 



THE SPIRITUAL llEFINER. 259 

of great heat. The refiner sits "beside the fire, 
superintending the process with the utmost care. 
Gradually the foreign substances are consumed or 
removed in the form of dross, and the gold or silver 
remains in a pure state. The refiner knows when 
the process is completed hy the reflection of his ovm 
image in the metal. 

In this refining process we have an image of that 
spiritual discipline which Christ superintends in the 
believer's soul. It is an essential work in the plan 
of salvation. Without it the dross of human cor- 
ruption cannot be eradicated from the heart. Hence 
the many allusions to it in the Scriptures. " But 
who may abide the day of his coming ? and who 
shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a 
refiner's fire, and like fuller's soap. And he shall 
sit as a refiner and purifier of silver ; and he shall 
purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold 
and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an 
offering in righteousness." In these words Malachi 
refers directly to the coming of Christ, who will 
institute a trying discipline for the good of his 
people. By the mouth of Isaiah, Jehovah said, 
" Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver ; I 
have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction." By 
the mouth of Ezekiel he said, " As silver is melted 



260 SYMBOLS OP CHRIST. 

in the midst of the furnace, so shall ye be melted in 
the midst thereof ; and ye shall know that I the 
Lord have poured out my fury upon you." By 
Zechariah he said, " And I will bring the third part 
through the fire, and will refine them as silver is 
refined, and will try them as gold is tried." Job, in 
his deep affliction, alluded to God thus : " But he 
knoweth the way that I take : when he hath tried 
me I shall come forth as gold." The Psalmist also 
said, at one time, *' For thou, God, hast proved us ; 
thou hast tried us, as silver is tried." Peter speaks 
of this heart discipline in the following terms : 
"That the trial of your faith, being much more 
precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be 
tried with fire, niight be found unto praise, and 
honor, and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ." 

These passages exhibit the character of that trial 
to which the followers of Christ are subjected in this 
world. The figure is well adapted to express the 
important truth designed to be conveyed. Its full, 
striking import may be most successfully presented 
by considering the subject according to the follow- 
ing analysis : The Refiner, Crucible, Dross, Gold, 
and Image. 

The Refiner. It is a consoling thought that we 
are put into the furnace by an intelligent agency. 



THE SPIRITUAL REFINER. 261 

This affords ground for hope and comfort. It 
brings to the relief of the tried soul the precious 
doctrine of Providence. It connects benevolent 
design with human suffering. It brings Christ near 
in every part of our experience. It attaches sig- 
nificance to every arrow of pain and to every thrill 
of pleasure. We see nothing, feel nothing, possess 
nothing, which is unimportant. The scenes and 
events of each passing day have a meaning. They 
are pervaded by divine intelligence. They speak 
to us of solemn, momentous truths. They discourse 
about the soul, its wants, its culture, its destiny. 
This meets the demands of the moral nature. The 
soul asks for it. The scoffer may afiirm his disbe- 
lief of the doctrine, and jest over the simplicity of 
the believer's faith in " a Divinity that shapes our 
ends." He may boast impiously of living without 
regard to the claims of God or the retributions of 
eternity. But let peril surround him ; let him be 
brought to the verge of the tomb ; or let him toss 
in a storm-beaten bark over a watery grave, and 
his terrified soul cries out for God. In such an 
hour he acknowledges the hand of Providence, and 
delights to feel that not a sparrow falls to the 
ground without his Father's notice. Multitudes of 
unbelievers have thrown away their guilty creeds 



262 SYMBOLS OF CHRIST. 

when sorrow or distress has come upon them. Then 
they have fled to Christ, as a covert from the storm. 
Says Hannah More, " It is not easy to conceive a 
more deplorable state of mind than to live in a 
disbelief of God's providential government of the 
world. To be threatened with troubles, and to see 
no power which can avert them — to be surrounded 
with sorrows, and discern no hand which can redress 
them — to labor under oppression and calumny, and 
believe there is no friend to relieve, and no judge 
to vindicate us — to live in a world of which we 
believe its ruler has abdicated the throne, or dele- 
gated the direction to chance — to suspect that he 
has made over the triuniph to injustice, and the vic- 
tory to impiety — to suppose that we are abandoned 
to the casualties of nature and the domination of 
wickedness — to behold the earth a scene of dis- 
order, with no superintendent to regulate it — to 
hear the storms beating, and see the tempests 
spreading desolation around, with no influence to 
direct and no wisdom to control them — all this 
would render human life a burden intolerable to 
human feeling. Even the heathen, in one of those 
glimpses of illumination which they seemed occa- 
sionally to catch, could say it would not be worth 
while to Iwe in a world which was not governed by 
Providence.^^ 



THE SPIRITUAL REFINER. 263 

" Happy the man who sees a God employed 
In all the good and ill that checker life I 
Resolving all events, with their effects 
And manifold results, into the will 
And arbitration wise of the Supreme." 

How unsatisfying were the best lessons of the 
ancient philosophers, because they were not imbued 
with this doctrine! Some of their precepts were 
marked illustrations of human learning and wisdom ; 
but they lacked the life-giving power that Christian- 
ity imparts. Their most consolatory lessons could 
not divest sorrow of its bitterness nor death of its 
sting. There was no " It is the Lord^' in their most 
pleasing counsels to solve the mystery of want and 
woe. There is more true comfort found in the 
four words of inspiration just quoted than was ever 
derived from all the studied philosophies of the 
world. Here believers in every age have stood 
firmly, when other foundations have vanished as the 
shifting sands. The celebrated and pious Robert 
Boyle found such uninterrupted satisfaction in this 
single doctrine, that just before his death he directed 
the following sentiment to be carved upon his grave- 
stone : " God's providence is my inheritance." 

Job was cast into the furnace of affliction, and 
his heart would have sunk within him but for the 



264 SYMBOLS OF CHRIST. 

thought that the great Kefiner did it. Property, 
health, children, friends, all went, one after another. 
But he did not complain of wind, fire, or storm, 
nor refer his sad misfortunes to accident or chance. 
Such a course would have aggravated his trials, 
instead of relieving them. Behind all these imme- 
diate causes of his affliction he saw the great Ruler 
superintending and determining their action. It 
was no solace to him to understand the nature of 
the evils that swept away his property, cut off his 
children, and preyed upon his own physical frame. 
His support was derived wholly from his confidence 
in an overruling Providence. This made him an 
example of submission and holy trust. 

This is the prominent thought suggested by the 
appellation Refiner. The trials of this world are 
not accidental. They do not spring from the 
ground. He who desires to purify us as gold sub- 
jects us to the fiery ordeal. He has charge of the 
work. He begins and ends it. 

Next consider the Crucible. In connection with 
fire, without which it is useless, it is emblematical 
of suffering or trial in its various forms. Afflictions 
are compared to fire in the Scriptures. "Behold, I 
have refined thee, but not with silver ; I have 
chosen thee in the furnace of affliction." Such com- 



THE SPIRITUAL EEFINER. 265 

parison is made because the trials of life are em- 
ployed to purify the lieart, as gold is purified by 
the application of fire. Gold is not fit for a cur- 
rency in its native state. It must be melted, and 
separated from the foreign matter with which it is 
mixed, before it can well subserve this purpose. So 
it is with the graces of religion in the human heart. 
They are in the ore, as it were. They are mixed 
with human dross, and must be purified therefrom, 
before they will pass current in the kingdom of 
God above. 

Let the crucible and fire, then, symbolize the 
troubles of life. Man is born to trouble, as the 
sparks to fly upward. There is not a moment from 
the cradle to the grave when he can say, " I am 
secure against the shafts of trial." Bright, peaceful 
hours may often delight his soul, but they are liable 
to be turned to bitterness by sudden disappointment. 

" Roses bloom, and then they wither ; 
Cheeks are bright, then fade and die ; 
Shapes of light are wafted hither, 
Then like visions hurry by." 

Who can number the diseases that prey upon the 
human frame ? What long-drawn sighs and piercing- 
groans are wrung from the hearts of men ! What 

23 



266 SYMBOLS OF CHRIST. 

weary months of pain are the lot of thousands! 
How they toss from side to side, seeking rest and 
finding none ! At this moment how many millions 
are weary of life, in consequence of their excruci- 
ating sufferings ! In every land, on every shore, in 
every village and neighborhood, they pine away 
under the wasting power of disease. 

There are also the disappointments and vicissi- 
tudes of life, relating to rank, wealth, and other 
temporal affairs. The surest hold upon earthly joys 
and possessions is uncertain. When human happi- 
ness runs highest, sudden change may blast every 
hope, and plunge the spirit into despair. 

" But while the glitter charms our gazing eyes, 
Its wings are folded, and the meteor dies." 

Poverty, too, rules with a rod of iron. In the 
fairest portions of earth, where the eye beholds 
much that is beautiful, haggard Want still finds his 
victims. Cold, damp cellars and stifled attics could 
tell a painful story of privation. Under the very 
eaves of the most costly edifices there are hunger and 
nakedness. Many a suffering Lazarus begs crumbs 
at the rich man's gate. Many a widow of Sarepta 
thanks God for a little meal and a cruise of oil. 
Many a good Elijah Avould famish in his penury, 



THE SPIRITUAL REFINER. 267 

were it not for some commissioned messenger of 
God to bring them relief. The annals of the poor 
are sad enough to melt a heart of stone. 

Persecution is a still hotter " furnace of affliction." 
This has been indeed a fiery trial to large numbers 
of Christ's followers. True, it is not so much a 
trial at the present day ; but formerly it was the 
most common crucible into which Christians were 
put. By systematic methods of torture they were 
made to suffer and die. The most horrifying rec- 
ords of history are those which contain the suffer- 
ings of Christians for the truth. 

A more universal trial is bereavement. It is the 
common lot of humanity. It enters alike the palace 
and the cot. The king on his throne and the beg- 
gar in the street are both pierced with this arrow 
from the quiver of God. The most fairy-like home 
is made dark and desolate as the grave by this sad 
experience. Nor is language adequate to express 
the anguish of a heart that is smitten with keenest 
sorrow. To see the dearest objects of earth strug- 
gling in death — to love with all the soul, and then 
to part — to hear the dear one speak for the last 
time, then fall asleep in death — to gaze upon the 
cold and motionless form, shrouded for the tomb — 
to follow the sacred relics to their silent resting- 



268 SYMBOLS OF CHRIST. 

place — to return to a home that has lost its charm 
— to miss the loved companioD, parent, sister, child, 
by night and by day — to hear no more the pleas- 
ant voice and familiar footstep — to experience 
thereafter the utter loneliness that sorrow ever 
brings — this is what no pen or language can de- 
scribe. The heart alone knoweth its own bitterness. 
Passing over other forms of trial, we say, in a 
word, that the fire of affliction is fed in many ways. 
We have only indicated the nature of the discipline 
to which we are exposed. We have barely looked 
into the crucible of the great Refiner. We are 
forced to say, — 

" It is a weary way, and I am faint ; 

I pant for purer air and fresher springs ; 
Father, take me home ; there is a taint, 

A shadow, on earth's |)urest, brightest things. 
This world is but a wilderness to me ; 
There is no rest, my God, no peace apart from thee." 

This refining process reveals dross. This point 
deserves brief attention. Gold, I have said, is sub- 
jected to intense heat, because it is supposed to con- 
tain more or less dross. The process would be 
superfluous were there no alloy. In like manner 
the trial of Christians implies the existence of im- 
perfections. There would be no need of subjecting 



THE SPIRITUAL EEFINER. 269 

them to such painful discipline if they did not require 
purification. Their sufferings are disciplinary, and 
are necessary to purge their sinful hearts. 

The best Christians are not without sin. The 
more correct views of their own natures they pos- 
sess, the more sensible they are of corruption within. 
None are so excellent as to need no inward cleans- 
ing. However pure they may seem to be, however 
unexceptionable in their walk and conversation, 
however faithful to the church and God, however 
loved and lovely, they are not free from moral taint. 
The remains of pride and selfishness, a roving 
imagination and evil thoughts, are still traceable 
upon their moral being. Hence the need of trying 
them as gold. 

Often dross is discovered where least expected. 
Imperfections that do not appear in prosperity be- 
come manifest in adversity. A sudden affliction 
sometimes extorts murmurings from a soul hitherto 
apparently good and true. Multitudes, in the hour 
of sorrow, have found themselves devoid of that 
patience and submission which they supposed were 
theirs. They imagined themselves prepared for any 
dispensation of the divine hand. 'They thought that 
the " old man " was really crucified, and that the 
"sin of self' was brought into subjection. But the 
23* 



270 SYMBOLS OP CHRIST. 

trial came, perhaps in an hour when they felt 
strongest. The uneradicated corruptions of their 
hearts burst forth in impatience and unbelief. They 
repined, complained, murmured. This was the dross 
appearing when subjected to the fire of moral 
discipline. 

" It is not till the sea is ' troubled ' that ' its 
waters cast up mire and dirt.' When all was calm, 
there seemed nought but purity pervading it, and 
ripple folded over ripple in the still brightness of 
its transparent green. But the winds break loose, 
the tempest stirs its lowest depths, and then all is 
changed. Thus we see it in the saints. When 
calamity breaks over them like a tempest, then the 
hidden evils of their hearts awake. Sins scarcely 
known before display themselves. The heart pours 
out its wickedness. Hard thoughts of God arise. 
■^' ^^ Distrust and unbelief assume the mastery, 
and we refuse to acquiesce in his will. It seems 
hard to be smitten so severely and laid so low." 
Thus Bonar describes what is often the conduct of 
Christians under the chastisements of God. 

We have the life of scarcely one saint recorded 
in the Scriptures who did not exhibit some imper- 
fections when txied by the Almighty. Though 
David was resolute and brave, yet he fled in fear 



THE SPIRITUAL REFINER. 271 

from Saul, his pursuer. Though Lot withstood the 
temptations and corruptions of Sodom, he fell into 
drunkenness almost as soon as the city was de- 
stroyed. Though Ezekiel was renowned for his 
holiness and obedience to God, yet once he was 
strangely unsubmissive when the hand of the Lord 
was upon him. And Peter, though he loved his 
Lord most ardently, and felt sure that he would die 
for his honor, yet, when openly confronted by the 
enemies of Christ, wickedly denied him. In all 
such examples we see the effect of trial in revealing 
imperfections. 

The writer recalls a striking illustration of this 
subject, which came under his own observation. A 
young woman who had been a consistent professor 
of religion for some years experienced an unex- 
pected affliction. Her father was a sea captain. 
He was away upon what he considered his last voy- 
age, having promised his family that on his return 
he would quit the sea forever. One dreary, stormy 
evening, the tidings of his death startled the quiet 
village. He had fallen overboard, and was drowned. 
The shock was overwhelming to the family. I 
hastened to the scene of sorrow, to comfort the be- 
reaved wife and children. The young female of 
whom I have spoken was the most inconsolable. 



272 SYMBOLS OF CHRIST. 

Altliougli friends might have expected to see her 
resigned, and although she might have thought her- 
self prepared to meet such sorrow with a Christian 
spirit, yet her heart rose in rebellion. As I ap- 
proached her, and directed her agitated mind to 
God for support, she said, " Cruel ! cruel ! " This 
was the only response that I could draw from her 
troubled heart — "Cruel!" Neither words nor 
prayer yielded her the least comfort. I left her 
with this bitter complaint upon her lips — " Cruel !" 
She was tried in the fire, and the dross rose to the 
surface. 

Now consider the gold. The refiner is not re- 
warded for his labors unless he gathers of this 
precious metal. He expects that the refining pro- 
cess will yield him gold without alloy. For this he 
patiently prosecutes the work. It is not the dross, 
but the gold, that he seeks. This most coveted of 
earthly treasures is the object of his toils. * 

Gold is here the emblem of moral worth — holi- 
ness. Afflictions are sent to purify it, that it may 
shine in heaven. Christians become like Christ in 
this way. Job said, " When they are tried, they 
come forth as gold." The language of Peter we 
have already quoted, but may repeat it : " That the 
trial of your laith, being much more precious than 



THE SPIRITUAL REFINER. 273 

of gold that perishetli, though it be tried with fire, 
might be found unto praise, and honor, and glory at 
the appearing of Jesus Christ." Peter thus spoke 
of the trial of faith, and not of faith itself. The 
refining is more precious than that of gold, because 
its results are more glorious. A single shining 
virtue outweighs all earthly treasures. 

The benefits of affliction are numerous. It was 
this consideration that caused the great apostle to 
say, " We glory in tribulations also ; knowing that 
tribulation worketh patience, and patience experi- 
ence, and experience hope." In itself no affliction 
is desirable ; but its blessed fruits become a cause 
for rejoicing with the meek and lowly. Again he 
wrote to the Hebrews, " Now no chastening for the 
present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous ; never- 
theless, afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of 
righteousness unto them that are exercised thereby." 
In th<f Epistle of James we read, " My brethren, 
count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations ; 
knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh 
patience." " Blessed is the man that endureth 
temptation ; for when he is tried he shall receive 
the crown of life which the Lord hath promised to 
them that love him." In such language the benefits 
of trial are set forth in the word of God. To 



274 SYMBOLS or chiust. 

quote all that is said therein upon the subject would 
be to quote no small portion of the sacred record. 

Experience and observation fully confirm the fore- 
going. God blesses mankind more by what he takes 
away than by what he gives. The discipline is a 
more effectual method of training the soul for use- 
fulness and heaven. 

" We see but dimly through the mists and vapors ; 
Amid these earthly damps, 
What seem to us but dim, funereal tapers 
May be heaven's distant lamps." 

Prosperity often petrifies the heart, but adversity 
stirs its moral sensibilities. The former magnifies 
self and the world ; the latter exalts God and human 
accountability. "As the bee sucks honey from 
many a bitter herb, so faith extracts good from 
bitter sorrows.'' Many who have learned little 
good from sermons, books, or friendly counsels, 
have been taught much by a single affliction. Then 
they have heard God speaking, and could say with 
John on Patmos, "I heard a voice from heaven, 
saying ; " and 0, what a voice ! Pride, vanity, 
worldliness, and hostility to God vanish at the 
sound. The hard heart is softened, and the soul's 
immortal interests become infinitely precious. The 



THE SPIRITUAL REFINER. 275 

world's richest blessings could never do this for a 
solitary probationer. 

Said a Christian, in her severe bereavements, 
" After my husband died, and I had mourned bit- 
terly and long, my heart turned to my children. 
When my first child died, all my grief came back 
upon me. The second died, and I murmured. The 
third died, and I was entirely rebellious. I thought 
God was cruelly and improperly severe upon me. 
But now the fourth and last one is taken away, and 
I am satisfied. I know that the rod with which my 
heavenly Father hath smitten me was cut from the 
tree of life." There was fine gold in her heart, and 
the Refiner brought it to the light. 

When the widowed mother of President Davies 
took leave of his corpse, at the time of his burial, 
she addressed the weeping assembly in these words : 
" There lies my only son, my only earthly comfort 
and earthly support. But there lies the will of God, 
and I am satisfied." It was after Dr. Payson had 
been for some time a great sufferer that he said, in 
reply to the inquiry, " Do you see any particular 
reason for your afflictions?" — "No; but I am as 
satisfied as if I saw ten thousand reasons. It is the 
will of God, and there is all reason in that." Such 
exhibitions of high Christian virtue are the result 



276 SYMBOLS OF CHRIST. 

of trying discipline. When the process reveals 
such spiritual wealth, there is great gain. It brings 
its own reward. A long time may elapse before it 
appears, but the benefit will surely come. As Dr. 
Manton says, " Affliction is a tree that to the true 
and watchful believer bears good fruit ; and we do 
not expect the fruit to form and ripen at once. It 
may be long maturing, but it will be rich and mel- 
low when it is ripe. It frequently requires a long 
time before all the results of the affliction appear, 
as it requires months to form and ripen fruit. Like 
fruit, it may appear at first sour, crabbed, and un- 
palatable ; but it will be at last like the ruddy peach 
or the golden apple." 

"We need not dwell upon this point. Every per- 
son knows that adversity is a blessing. The sick 
room, the house of mourning, the grave, have their 
treasure lessons. Who that has stood " where part- 
ing life is laid " cannot testify to this fact ? - What a 
place for touching recollections and better thoughts ! 
With the memory of former friendships and inter- 
changes of love, and with the present melancholy 
experience of broken ties, how sensitive the heart 
grows, and how it resolves upon a better life ! Yes ; 
from that silent dust rises an all-pervading influence 
that causes the living soul to realize its value and 



THE SPIRITUAL REFINER. 277 

destiny. The tliousand endearments now parted 
with forever serve to exhibit the perishing nature 
of all other earthly relationships. The world 
dwindles into insignificance. Time increases in 
value. Life assumes ncAv importance. Immortality 
commands attention. The claims of God are ad- 
mitted. Conscience pleads. Heaven invites. Hell 
terrifies. Often the soul flies to Christ. 

" The path of sorrow, and that path alone, 
Leads to the land where sorrows are unknown." 

We will briefly inquire concerning the Image. 
"We have said that the refiner of silver and gold 
continues the process until his own image is reflected 
in the molten metal. It is not enough that he ob- 
tains gold ; he seeks pure gold. His reflected image 
is evidence of purity. 

So with the saints. They are tried until the 
image of Christ is reflected by their hearts. 
" Whom he did foreknow he also did predestinate 
to be conformed to the image of his Son." "But 
we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the 
glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image 
from glory to glory, even as by the spirit of the 
Lord." This is the climax of earthly discipline. 
Adversity answers the highest end when this object 
24 



278 SYMBOLS OP CHRIST. 

is attained. The spiritual Eefiner patiently watches 
the process, until the heart, as a mirror, reflects his 
own face. Happy moment that, both for Christ 
and his tried follower ! It is the consummation of 
a work whose greatest value cannot be known until 
we shall sit with our Lord in his heavenly kingdom. 
To be like Christ ! Can any thing be more desira- 
ble to an heir of immortality ? Can there be a 
better passport at the gate of heaven ? It is the 
family likeness of " the whole family in heaven and 
earth." Who would not possess it ? "I shall be 
satisfied when I awake with thy likeness." 

If the Refiner's fire multiplies spiritual riches in 
this manner, then God should be praised. Trial is 
in no sense a calamity when it works out such an 
exceeding weight of glory. The continuance of the 
afiiiction is a greater blessing than its removal in 
such a case. It is hard for human nature to believe 
it, but this does not alter the fact. Whenever 
Luther received discouraging news, or was unex- 
pectedly plunged into sorrow, he was wont to say, 
"Come, let us sing the forty-sixth Psalm," — the 
Psalm beginning, " God is our refuge and strength, 
a very present help in trouble ; therefore will 
not we fear, though the earth be removed, and 
though the mountains be carried into the midst of 



THE SPIRITUAL REFINER. 279 

the sea." He felt that the language of praise be- 
came him for the supports and consolations of reli- 
gion. He would not forget divine mercies when 
experiencing divine chastisements. When smarting 
under the rod he would remember the needed cor- 
rection. When cast into the furnace he would think 
of the forthcoming gold. It should be the same 
with every believer. He should recognize God in 
his sorrows as really as in his joys. He should keep 
in view the important object of his trials — his 
spiritual good. As his Master was made perfect 
through sufferings, so he may have to pass through 
the same ordeal, to shine as a star in the firmament 
forever and ever. He should rejoice in tribulation, 
rather than lose his crown of life. 

O, talk to me of heaven ! I love 
To hear about my home above ; 
For there doth many a loved one dwell, 
In light and joy ineffable. 
O, tell me how they shine and sing, 
While eveiy harp rings echoing. 
And every glad and tearless eye 
Beams, like the bright sun, gloriously. 
Tell me of that victorious palm 

Each hand in glory beareth ; 
Tell me of that celestial cahn 

Each face in glory weareth. 



280 SYMBOLS OF CHEIST. 

O, tappy, happy country, where 

There enter eth not a sin ; 
And Deathj who keeps his portals fair, 

May never once come in. 
No grief can change their day to night ; 
The darkness of that land is light ; 
Sorrow and sighing God hath sent 
Far thence, to endless banishment ; 
And never more may one dark tear 

Bedim their burning eyes ; 
For every one they shed while here, 

In fearful agonies. 
Glitters a bright and dazzling gem 
In their immortal diadem. Bowles. 



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and a ready appreciation of men and things ; and so true to life are 
many of the sketches, that vre should not be at all surprised if 
numbers are thought to have sat for their portraits. — Traveller. 

It is clothed in charms which but few can resist. The writer's 
name, Avhoever he or she may be, will not long remain behind the 
scenes. Such retirement and seclusion are impossible. — Laiorence 
Sentinel. 

The style is rich, yet simple and well managed. — Congregation- 
alist. 

This is a work A^Titten by one who understands the department 
of nature with which he tuulertakes to do. — Christian Freeman. 

There is a natural simplicity and pathos running through the 
w^hole work which cannot fail of. producing alternate smiles and 
tears. — American OJdfelhi'i. 

The writer's sketches of family scenes remind us of that famous 
work of Christopher North, entitled " I/ights and Shadows of 
Scottish Life." The/e is the same quiet pathos, the same touches 
of nature, the same line pictures of the workings of passion in 
rude and humble life, in both volumes. — Evening Transcript. 

It is a book that cannot fail of having an immense circulation 
and popularity. — Boston Daily Bee. 

The various motives that sway human action, hate, love, rival- 
ry, envy, selfishness, &c., are well depicted in the little miniature 
world of a village circle. — Boston Atlas. 

We do not wonder at the sudden popularity v,-hich the book has 
attained. — Old Colony Memorial. 

There is an agreeable commingling of the grave and the humor- 
ous, of the instructive and the entertaining. — Puritan Recorder. 

No one can read this book without ft-ling a deep interest in its 
mcidents and character. " Our Parish " is one of the books that 
will be "talked about," and therefore its reputation is safe. — 
Albany Spectator. 

Agents wanted in every part of the United States and British Provinces. 

Address L. V. CROWN & CO., Publishers, 61 Cornhill, Boston. 

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